


The Other Side

by skivern



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Not K-Pop Idols, Angst, Diary/Journal, F/F, Fantasy, K-Pop - Freeform, Magic, Rating May Change, Romance, twice
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-02
Updated: 2019-07-24
Packaged: 2019-08-04 01:16:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 21,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16336943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skivern/pseuds/skivern
Summary: "I don't believe in such thing."satzu // Wherein, Tzuyu discovered another realm that holds the truth of her existence.





	1. forword

**_The Other Side_** is a fan fictional story that is set in an alternate universe of kingdoms and magical creatures.

;

The previous chapters of the book  _(Introduction - Ch. 07)_  is currently under editing and rewriting with the promise of a  _better_  plot and new updated chapters will be posted from then on.

 ** _Warnings_** will be given ahead for chapters with  _inappropriate content._ The contents would vary from the  _ **slightest details**_  to  ** _graphic morbid content._**

It is  ** _strictly_**  advised to skip the scene of the chapter or the chapter itself, if it makes you uncomfortable.

If you don't want to skip,  ** _read on your own risk._**

**_Nothing here is encouraged and everything is fictional._ **

Any similar circumstances that may appear in this book are  _coincidental_.

If you are disturbed by reading about the  ** _love between two women_** and  ** _certain "added" characteristics_** , then I suggest you should close this book and look for another that suites your taste.

_**Opinions are subjective, after all.** _

**Plagiarism** is a crime. There are only  ** _three sites_** where I share my stories to the public fandom. Please do not attempt to steal my works, I will know.

I hope all of you could bear the grammatical errors that would appear in the chapters as  ** _E_** ** _nglish is not my first language._**

**_Sincerely, Kia._ **

**P.S. I love you all. I'm reworking this because I managed to make a layout of the other realm ;^;**


	2. 00

She gazed around her bedroom, brightened by the sun that slipped through the clear panes and staining the wooden floor. Motes of dust danced around against the light in small particles and the melodious songs of chirping birds, accompanied by the rustling of leaves up in the trees, filled the serene silence of a joyous morning; gauze curtains swayed gently against the breeze that entered the large opened windows, and the calming cold that brought along with it caressed her tanned skin. It was a good morning…

_At least, for them._

She sat behind the dark mahogany desk where a journal laid open to a blank page; the pen between her fingers was ready to be used, but she sighed for the third time that morning, staring out at the distance from the back of her cottage home.

At the edge of the forest, she could make out the figures of eight women sitting on a large blanket laid on the grass, and their contagious laughter carried by the breeze reached the younger one’s ears. It was the weekend after all; her friends had planned to enjoy the whole morning together as usual, meanwhile, she stared at one particular woman.

The one whose golden hair mimicked the morning star as it shone against the sun, falling over her shoulders like tendrils of slithering gold; whose smile on her beautiful face could brighten the darkest storms of her day; whose laughter that claws into her heart, and rips it apart from the confines of the bones; whose arms were _wrapped_ around the waist of a shorter woman with purple hair.

Minatozaki Sana.

Another sigh escaped her as she raked her slender fingers through the darkness of her hair. She frowned at the ache inside her chest; it was becoming too much to bear as the seconds ticked.

They asked her to hang-out with them a while ago, however, she declined their invitation as usual with a reasonable excuse (or lies). She was right not to join them this morning, or in any other day for that matter. Her friends,  _except two_ , don’t know why she chose to stay at home.

Aside from another blonde drinking a bottle of water, the _couples_ in the group were busy teasing each other to notice one woman stood up, walking away a bit, with a phone pressed against her ear. It was Jihyo. One of the two people who understood her.

She watched Jihyo faced her bedroom window with her wide eyes, and soon enough, the ringtone of her phone pierced through the silence she half-heartedly enjoyed. Reaching for the device beside her journal, she answered the call. Jihyo spoke when she was out of earshot from the rest.

 _“You’re hurting yourself, Tzuyu,”_ she stated with concern. The younger one had expected it.

A sad smile stretched on her own lips, “I know, eonnie. I know.”

Jihyo sighed, and Tzuyu watched the older woman scratch the back of her neck,  _“Do you need me to stay in your room? Momo and I can comfort you. We’re being the seventh and eighth wheel here.”_

“But that make up even wheels for a large truck,” A humorless joke, knowing for certain that Jihyo and Momo, the other blonde, wanted to be anywhere else than with a nest of couples.

 _“Very funny, Chewy,”_ she saw Jihyo roll her eyes,  _“But, honestly, do you want us to accompany you? I can’t stand seeing you just watching us alone from over there.”_

Tzuyu languidly shook her head, knowing that the older woman could see her. Jihyo sighed in the phone, “I don’t want to bother you, eonnie. Not when Sana’s having fun with you guys.”

 _“You could never be a bother to us, Tzu,”_ the older woman assured, “ _How about we accompany you to work later?”_

“I don’t mind,” Tzuyu said.

There was a pause; she could see Jihyo suddenly furrowing her brows, likely realizing something, _“Yah, Tzuyu! Ms. Hwang told you to take the day off, didn’t she!?”_

Tzuyu winced at the (natural) loud volume of her voice. It also caused the rest of her friends to look at the short-haired woman’s direction, confusion clouding their faces, before turning back around to whatever they were doing. Momo, however, observed Jihyo.

“Yeah, eonnie, she did,” she answered, recalling the countless times the _eye-smiling_ librarian would bombard her with worried questions of her wellbeing; constantly reminding her to take a day-off or two, “I know that you’ll ask me to join me in my work, but it’s okay, eonnie. I have Lisa-eonnie to help me.”

A sigh of defeat, _“Okay then. Let me know when you need a shoulder to lean on, Tzu. Don’t hesitate on calling me or Momo.”_

“I will,” Tzuyu nodded before ending the call. Jihyo walk back to the picnic with her shoulders slightly slumped. She didn’t want to burden the older woman with problems of unrequited affection.

Tzuyu had long since acknowledged the fact that it was selfish and stupid to keep herself away from her friends, who offered nothing but their friendship. She wanted nothing more than to remove the feeling inside her heart— even if it meant distancing herself away from them.

She continued to watch the group laugh their hearts out from afar, however, she turned away when Sana leaned closer to her girlfriend and kissed her passionately, not caring about the people surrounding them. It hurt.

Her eyes automatically squeezed shut as her own heart clenched in pain. She could feel the sympathetic gazes of Momo and Jihyo despite the distance.

She hung her head low, pretending to write on the opened journal as she tried her best to keep her fraying thoughts together. No, she was not suicidal. She was nowhere near to that point, but every thought felt like she was hanging on the edge of the cliff.

Her doctor had told her to write down every thoughts and feelings on a journal she has now for the longest time if she couldn’t confide to anyone. She was alone. She  _felt_  alone, though nothing stopped Jihyo and Momo being concerned of her. The rest of their friends, however, weren’t aware of what the youngest has been going through.

_Especially her._

It was unbelievable, even to herself, that it’s been years and counting that she still holds a love for Sana with most of them being unaware; no one seemed to bother and ask about it. Tzuyu was sure that they thought she was genuinely uninterested with any of those sorts or too young. It was the latter.

She sighed. Nayeon would treat her as if she were still a babe, then Jeongyeon would follow as the acting father that would then lead to the rest of them to treat her like a literal child. Her thoughts and opinions were often regarded as such. And when something happened to Tzuyu, such as the two week long headache she had felt, they thought she was only making up an excuse not to be with them and laugh it off to tell her that there was no need to play  _that card_. Tzuyu did had a painful headache and it hurt her that no one believed, save for two.

Since then, Tzuyu never bothered to say anything anymore and slowly distanced herself away from them; no one has noticed so far, again, save for two.

When she was sure that the pain had subsided, Tzuyu looked up once more to see Momo suddenly running through the open between the edge of the forest and the back garden of the cottage; she did a cartwheel before enthusiastically flailed her arms at her window while jumping up and down like an excited kid.

“Tzuyu!” Momo shouted and the said younger genuinely laughed at the sight.

The older woman had suddenly become a ball of energy, yet younger could see the sympathetic smile across her face. Momo was trying to cheer her up, and the younger satisfied her once more with a wide, toothy grin.

She heard Momo randomly shouted  _“hallelujah, she smiled!”_  and fist pumped the air while she jumped like she had won a competition. The small commotion caused the _couples_ turn to the Japanese, their faces expressed confusion once more—except for Jihyo who was grinning—before moving their direction to the bedroom window.  _Even her_.

Tzuyu didn’t want to focus on  _her_  alone. They all waved their hands at her, and the younger reciprocated. Right after that, they’re attention went back to what they were doing before it was interrupted by Momo.

“Sometimes,” she mumbled, “I wonder if the rest of you still cares.”

She wasn’t selfish; she doesn’t want to be. Tzuyu was one of the few people who understood what it felt to carry the stress and weight of their own problems on their shoulders; she understood that people can be numb because of it to empathize another person whether they needed comfort, assurance, or anything at all.

But like others, she felt alone from time to time; seeing her friends busying themselves with their own lives, intertwined with everyone else’s in the group, Tzuyu felt invisible. But of course, Jihyo and Momo made sure that she wasn’t. She has become much closer with the two of them than she did in her freshman years.

With another heavy sigh to join to count that morning, she lifted the pen in her hand to the blank page and began to write. After a while, she placed the pen down beside the journal and turned her attention back to her friends. Smiles stretched across their faces, but she could only focus on one smile.

The one smile that shatters her heart in millions of pieces, even though it still beats.


	3. 01

_7:24AM._ Chou Tzuyu gazed at the twin reflection in the mirror on her dresser. She managed to sleep well last night after noticing the dark circles underneath her eyes were less severe than before. It’s been too long since the last time she slept without nightmares waking her up at every ungodly hour. Smiling with relief, she slipped on the large blue flannel shirt over the carefully tucked white t-shirt underneath the waistband of her dark denim jeans.

Despite Ms. Hwang telling her to take the day off, she decided to work instead of staying indoors with nothing to do except write in her journal. She wanted to busy herself and avoid thinking about anything—especially about Sana. Moving on has always been a bright option, but Tzuyu opted to stay on the ground, crippled and crawling behind blonde woman who would never look back.

She shook her head. _Ms. Hwang wouldn’t mind anyway._ Slinging her backpack over one shoulder, she checked herself one last time before leaving her pristine bedroom.

Out of nowhere, as she descended the stairs, she felt a familiar wave of pain washing over her like a bucket of ice cold water. She felt the insides of her chest constrict in pain and a heavy cough tore terribly through her throat; her hands began to tremble. Images suddenly flashed before her and her hands weakly gripped on the wooden handrails for support.

_Please, not now..._

Another throaty cough and Tzuyu screwed her eyes shut. Her breathing became shallow and the knuckles of her hands turned white from the tight grip. She could feel the pain; the tearing in her throat as she screamed in her mind. No one heard her; she was terrified.

_The dark. The shadow. The silhouettes. The gate. The figures—_

Tears began falling down her cheeks, but still Tzuyu tried to take deep breaths. She opened her eyes and fumbled for the small bottle inside her bag, but it wasn’t there. Just when she thought of rushing back up the stairs to her bathroom, the images disappeared, and her hands stopped trembling. However, Tzuyu’s mind was left shaken from the nightmares she wanted to forget. The haunting words she never wanted to hear again.

 _Knock. Knock. Knock._ Tzuyu flinched for a moment. She sat on the steps for a moment, giving herself time to calm her palpitating heart before another sets of knocks echoed through the hallway. She then remembered Jihyo’s words when she called this an hour ago, about accompanying her to work.

Carefully, she quickly descended the remaining steps and wiped away the tears from her cheeks, hoping that it wouldn’t obvious that she cried. But who was she kidding? Momo and Jihyo would see no matter how much she tried to hide it.

She opened the door and was greeted by the smiles of her two best friends.

“Ready to go?” Jihyo asked, placing her hands on her hips. Momo grinned beside her.

Tzuyu nodded. She locked the front door before heading down the steps of the front porch followed by Momo and Jihyo. It was silent when they reached the gate and out into the streets of the neighborhood. Instead of the atmosphere being awkward, Tzuyu found it comforting to be around them. She felt safe and secured.

She felt a tap on her shoulder and Tzuyu turned to see Momo smiling gently, holding out a pack of wet wipes to the tall girl. She was right that her friends would notice. Although, not for the reason of unrequited love... but the  _images_.

Jihyo linked her arms on the younger’s and held her securely. A gesture she would do to tell that the older woman knew there was something wrong and that she was there for her until Tzuyu was ready to talk about it. The youngest felt lucky to have understanding eonnies. She doesn’t deserve them.

“It's such a small and old town we live in, don’t you think?” Momo said, eyeing the food stalls and vendors lined up in the market, “It always feels like I haven’t been here long.”

They went through the stoned archway on the road that, as Tzuyu would like to think, serve as an entrance to the town square. A tall bell tower stood magnificently among the old stoned buildings, it was the old town’s greatest and oldest landmark along with the statue of a woman in the center of the square.

 _Lady Emerea._ The name was engraved on a gold plate attached to the pedestal.

It was another landmark aside from the bell tower Tzuyu would never stop admiring how the marble was carved. The depths and flows of her dress and hair imitated the fabric being blown by the wind. Her hand was held out as if she were offering help to those in need with a loving smile etched across her face and a gentle gaze inside her eyes. It was beautiful to gaze at, however, what disturbs the Taiwanese was the face. It was too realistic to be a figure carved out of a sculptor’s imagination... too detailed for something created centuries ago.

It disturbingly resembles her _own reflection_ in the mirror.

“You know,” Jihyo spoke, eyeing the statue as they passed, “I can’t help but think that statue of Lady Emerea looks like a lot like you, Tzuyu.”

The town had always been peacefully quiet and if Tzuyu decided to whisper, it would probably be heard by the person meters away from them. Although it was undeniably impossible, it felt that way to the younger woman, especially when Jihyo spoke.

“I guess she does,” Tzuyu mumbled.

They continued to walk until they reached an old, building that was designed similarly to the gothic church standing on top of the hill, a few miles away. The neo-gothic architecture of the library had was the most prominent amongst the  _newer_ shops that surround the square and Tzuyu, despite seeing the building daily, was enamored with how the weather-beaten stones witnessed the history of this town. Jihyo unlaced her arms from Tzuyu and the older women followed the younger into the library.

As expected, more silence greeted them as they entered the building, but the warm atmosphere of the library comforted them. It was as if it was built to remind them exactly of the comforts of a medieval home— specifically for people to be able to study and read.

A countable study tables, made from dark mahogany, lined the middle of the main hall. Arched pillars lined the sides of the hall, as if holding the second floor of the library, and the bright orange florescent lights that hung on them somehow mimicked the torches that used to be the source of light before electricity was discovered (at least that’s how Tzuyu would like to think).

At the very end of the hall was a large window that brightened the rest of the neo-gothic space atmosphere of the library, giving more than enough light. But the most beautiful attraction that Tzuyu could never be bored with was the marbled statue of a woman sitting on what seemed to be a throne standing in the center of the main hall.

With the same fascination to the statue in the center of the square, this one had details that, chillingly, picked the younger’s interest. The statue wore a dress that was different; while the one from the square was simple and had elegant linings—similar to how the Greek goddesses dressed—this one has the imitation of fur with intricate designs like swirling vines decorated the whole dress. An elegant headpiece rested on her head and an amulet of claws around her neck. An arm leaned against the armrest of the throne with her head leaning against it, and the other hand held an open book.

Like the statue in the center of the square, a name was engraved on a golden plate. _Lady Ara._

But like the first one, the statue’s face was disturbingly familiar.

The sound of footsteps echoed through the hall and a tall brunette—who resembled the statue—appeared from behind one of the bookshelves, holding a box of newly arrived books. She smiled at the them as she placed the box down on the information desk. The library doesn’t open until later at 10.

“Didn’t Ms. Hwang tell you to take the day off?” Her co‑worker asked, dusting of her green flannel shirt, tucked neatly in her jeans, “She and Mom won’t mind you know.”

Tzuyu shrugged, “I prefer to work, Lisa‑eonnie. It keeps me busy.”

“Come on, Tzu. Drop the formalities, you don’t need to do that anymore,” Lisa chuckled and waved at the other two women with the younger, “Hey Jihyo. Hi Momo,” The said girls greeted back.

“We just came to drop our baby Tzu off,” Jihyo grinned and pinched the tall girl’s cheeks. Tzuyu rolled her eyes, “Take care of her, Lisa, okay?” Lisa nodded.

“We’ll be heading off now. The couples are probably waiting for us again,” Momo said, linking her arms with Jihyo, “See you guys later.”

“Don’t be the seventh and eighth wheel,” Lisa called out to them as the two left, “It sucks to tag along, don’t you think?” she mumbled, but Tzuyu heard it.

Tzuyu nodded, “You have no idea,” Lisa chuckled.

“Come on, put your bag in the staff room, then help me with these new books.”


	4. 02

After she finished stacking the books on the bottom of the shelves, Tzuyu stood up and stretched her aching limbs with a groan; her back cracked with satisfying pops. She felt weaker than usual due to her _episode_ at home before work, but she was thankful that it hadn’t drained all her energy for the day. After all, she and Lisa were the only younger ones working in the library, along with Lisa’s mother and Ms. Hwang; stocking new shipment, rearranging books that needed to be, and cataloging old and new books in the shelves. It’s a slow day like any other today; unsurprisingly, Tzuyu managed to work more quickly than usual.

A sigh escaped her lips. _Because I’m so focused on keeping myself busy..._

“You done over there, Tzu?”

Tzuyu turned behind her and smiled proudly at the skinny woman before noticing the two large boxes in her slender arms.  _More books._  How can Lisa manage to carry two big boxes of heavy books on her own? The youngest will never know. She never questioned. Oddly enough, she was used to it. She’ll have to ask her soon— if she remembers to at the end of the day.

“Yup.”

Lisa carefully placed the boxes down, “These ones came from the basement along with the much older books dating from the 16th to 18th century. Some of them are dated around the 14th century.”

Tzuyu stared at her in awe, “You’re kidding me, right?”

Lisa chuckled, “Apparently not. This town has been standing since then, remember? The previous generations of my family had long since been keeping the records in this library before some of my ancestor moved back to Thailand then back again here.”

“ _Manoban_ ,” Tzuyu muttered, “It’s seems like you’re bound to a duty judging from the brief history you’re telling me. And it's  _just_  a surname."

Lisa smiled, “Maybe... it does give me a sense of responsibility. I thought about it before and after Mom explained everything to me, it made so much sense. She even joked that it was fated that I share the same name as my ancestor who came back here years ago.”

Tzuyu let out a long whistle, “That's deep.”

“I guess it is,” Lisa chuckled and shook her head, “Come on, we still got these last two boxes then lunch time. Why don’t we head over to the café down at town square? Rosie told me earlier that it’s going to be her treat.”

“Sure,” Tzuyu took the box on top; it was undeniably heavy, but enough for to carry, “Where do these go?”

“At the back in the restricted area,” Lisa said, carrying the last box on the floor, “Let’s go.”

Tzuyu followed the Thai as they crossed the vast library to the other side. It was quite a walk but, nevertheless, they managed to reach the back section of the building. An elegant iron gate stood between two wooden wall divisions. It was a restricted area where fragile manuscripts, records, and books were displayed.

Lisa placed her box she down and unlocked the heavy padlock with the key around her neck. It was a weird looking key and it seemed new, but Tzuyu remembered their conversation a week ago; the key has been passed down from one generation to the next— the firstborns.

 _Family heirlooms are still a thing,_ she thought. She waited until the lock clicked and Lisa opened the gate wide enough for the two of them. The brunette tucked the key back in her shirt and picked up her box once more.

Lisa went inside and Tzuyu followed. It was quite a collection when she gazed around the area; as far as she has been working here, this section isn’t opened to the public without the owner or manager’s permission. But no one had been in her; not even once.

Each row of the elegant bookshelves, the library was known for having, was filled with old manuscripts like timeless antiques waiting to be opened. Some crisp pages were sprawled out under the glass display case, challenging a person to read what’s scribbled on the ancient script. It seemed the Lisa and her mother value these items as if it’s their whole world from the care they were all given.

Lisa stopped in front of one shelf to her left placed the box down on the carpeted floor, and stretched her back, “Yours is all the way back there, Tzu. I hope you don’t mind.”

Tzuyu smirked, “It’s part of the job. Why should I complain?”

Lisa grinned and went to work with cataloging and arranging her books, meanwhile, Tzuyu continued to journey further back and took a few steps to the elevated platform. She gently placed the box and opened it, marveling at the leather covers of the manuscripts that were said to be dated from the 14th century to the 18th. She couldn’t believe it.

Carefully, she arranged the books by chronological and alphabetical order. She didn’t have to worry much about cataloging the books, but she did a double take just to make sure. It was already an hour when Tzuyu was finally down to the last book at the bottom of the box. She could feel that Lisa was about to finish as well.

It has always been like that, despite having only met at college, she just clicked with Lisa as if their souls had known each other for a long time. It was a connection she didn’t knew that could exist with anyone, but here it was with Lisa Manoban—she didn’t mind. They’d joke about it sometimes, but Tzuyu was sure that Lisa seemed to know more than what she was letting; it would bug her sometimes.

Nevertheless, Tzuyu picked it up the last book; it was thinner than the rest of the volumes she had arranged, and carefully opened the crisp, golden pages. She frowned.

It was blank.

She gently skimmed through the next pages, but it was as empty as its previous pages. There was nothing. No title. No foreword. No content. All of it was blank. It reminded Tzuyu of the old journal that she has bought before but had never written a single entry until this morning.

“Hey Lisa,” she called, turning back to the woman’s direction.

Lisa’s light brunette head popped from behind the rows of bookshelves, “What's up?”

“This one’s blank,” Tzuyu said, holding the leather-bound manuscript to the older woman. Lisa fixed herself and jogged down the center aisle. She stood beside the taller girl and inspected the book from front to back.

“That's odd,” she mumbled to herself, “I swore this used to have something written in it, but that was a long time ago.”

“Do you think the ink has washed off when it was still in the basement?”

Lisa frowned, shaking her head, “The basement is in perfect condition to keep old manuscripts such as this one to prevent the ink from fading. I trust how the team works.”

‘Then what happened?” Tzuyu asked. It made here wonder why Lisa would say that it had something written before when it was clearly nothing inside.  _This is confusing._

“Why don’t you keep it for a while, Tzuyu?” a voice said.

Lisa and Tzuyu turned to the old woman behind them. She stood a head shorter than Lisa and a warm, wrinkled smile was plastered on her face, donned in her office clothes. The resemblance between the elder woman and the  _twenty-two_  year old beside her was enough for people to know.  _It was Lisa’s mother._

“Are you sure about that, Mom?” Lisa asked. Ms. Manoban nodded, and Lisa handed the book back to Tzuyu who, although confused, accepted it gently.

“You want me to keep this for a while?” Tzuyu asked.

Ms. Manoban chuckled, “You  _should_  keep it, Tzuyu. It’ll probably help you with whatever problem you’re facing right now. Especially, love,” she smiled.

She was taken aback.  _How can Auntie know that she has a problem with the matters of her heart?_  “I don't think that I should keep something as old as this book.”

“The book has been around since the 14th century dear and it has nothing written on it ever since,” she smiled. Tzuyu was more confused; Lisa sighed.

“I don’t get it, Mom. The last time I've opened that book, it was in Grandma’s bedroom,” she stated, “it had something written in it.”

The old lady simply smiled, “Like what I have said. It’s been blank ever since,” she repeated as if simply saying the words could convince them.

Tzuyu had to admit that she doesn’t understand because Lisa was confused as well. Usually, the older brunette knew every history of the books and what was written in them despite having scanned through it for the first time. But now, they’re both lost.

“You said it will help Tzuyu with her problems?” Lisa asked, disbelieving.

Her mom chuckled, “Herself and the people surrounding her. The person who held this book would understand why fate had place them there in the first place.”

Tzuyu stared at the old lady, blankly. She wanted to believe the woman’s words as she had been nothing but wise to the youngest when she was having a difficult time, but when she heard _fate_... she couldn't bring herself to.

Chou Tzuyu doesn’t believe in fate, destiny, fairytales, or even the traditional superstitions. It was written for people to indulge themselves with belief along with religion since the day they could think; to have something to hold on to— and she wasn’t having _any_ of it _._

Tzuyu shook her head, “I’m sorry, Auntie. But I don’t believe in such thing as fate.”

“Of course, you wouldn’t, but I still want you to keep it—" Tzuyu tried to open her mouth, “Nope. I will not take no as an answer Ms. Chou,” Tzuyu sighed in defeat.

“I think we should go and have lunch now, Tzu,” Lisa said, pointedly eyeing her mother while the woman just raised her brow, the smile still on her wrinkled face. She turned to nudge the younger woman’s shoulder, “I’m starving.”

“Uhm, uh, okay.”


	5. 03

She leaned back against the chair, caressing the surface of the  _age-old_  book and examined it with curious eyes. Golden linings still managed to glint against the light as it decorated the faded red leather with intricate and elegant designs, although the edges are peeling off— especially at the spine like any other books that were frequently opened. The threads inside, however, managed to secure the pages as tight as (possibly) since the day it was bound. She was clearly confused about the content-less manuscript in her hands.

Lisa said that it used to have words written on it; Auntie said that was empty ever since. _But why would it be bound as an empty book if it's not going to be written on?_ She sighed. There’s no use debating herself with what’s already a fact in front of her.

“It's about to rain soon,” a chilling breeze brushed against her skin as soon as the words left Lisa’s mouth mouth, and she instinctively shivered against the cold. It’s the middle of the day, yet it’s been nothing but windy since they left the library for lunch.

Tzuyu raised her head to see the brunette staring of at the distance with her head leaning against her hand with her elbow resting on the table. She then turned to the sky, noticing the grey clouds gathering against the blues.

She should have checked the weather forecast this morning. She and Lisa were currently waiting for their orders on one of the tables outside the café, at least the parasol would block them from the rain in case it would start drizzling over the old town. Tzuyu carefully shoved the book inside her backpack and watched the other woman across the table as she let herself enjoy the comforting silence between them.

It was one of the things she enjoyed with Lisa— they don’t need to keep talking for the sake of friendship.

The brunette suddenly heaved a sigh in defeat before shifting her position and leaned back on the wooden backrest of the steel chair. Tzuyu raised a brow in question and Lisa only shrugged her shoulders, nodding to the direction that made her  _disappointed_. A knowing gesture for the youngest to see for herself and Tzuyu did.

In the distance to her left, a short couple stood by the center of the square, taking photographs of each other with countless shots that only a few would be posted in Instagram. The one with a long raven hair knelt on the ground while holding her camera closer to her face as she pointed the lens at the other woman, a brunette with intimidating eyes that resembled a cat, stood a few feet away and posed cutely in front of the statue of the woman.

Tzuyu furrowed her brows and turned back to Lisa who was staring _longingly_ at the couple. The youngest somehow understood what the older woman was currently feeling, but she didn’t want to go ahead and assume. So, she asked _._

“Which one?”

“The woman that looks like a dumpling with cat eyes,” Lisa didn’t hesitate, knowing certainly well what the younger woman meant, ‘Her name is Jennie Kim.’

Tzuyu nodded, already knew where this conversation was going, “and the other woman with her?”

“That’s her girlfriend, Kim Jisoo,” Lisa sighed, “The three of us used to be best friends back then in high school.”

“That’s a long time. What happened?”

Lisa smiled bitterly, “We had to grow up.”

Tzuyu tilted her head to the side, obviously, the words couldn’t sink in. Lisa then glanced at her and gave a light chuckle at her confused, but cute state, “I was in love with Jennie from the day I understood my feelings for her, but she didn’t know about that. Our schoolmates used to tease us for being a couple almost every day.”

She paused for a bit before giving a sad smile, “I didn’t mind, but Jennie didn’t like it; Jisoo didn’t either.”

Her gaze then fell back to the couple, who were know hugging and covering each other's faces with kisses, “Jisoo knew about my feelings. Suddenly, they started ignoring me. I was hurt and confused. It was only until college when I found out that Jennie and Jisoo had been dating behind my back. A week after I told Jisoo about my love for Jennie,” She shook her head and wrenched her gaze away from them.

“The news came from a close friend, right? Who hesitated for a while before telling you?” Tzuyu asked.

“Yeah, it was Rosé who told me,” Lisa smiled sadly, “You and I are in a similar situation, aren’t we?” Tzuyu slowly nodded. Lisa chuckled, “It wouldn’t be called love if we aren’t hurting.”

It was true. Tzuyu wouldn’t be hurting like her heart was thrown and stomped against the ground if she wasn’t in love with a certain Japanese. Instead of telling her closest friend about her feelings, she hid them until it was too late. She never got the chance to confess to the older girl who had stolen her heart.

“She lost your trust,” Tzuyu frowned, “That Jisoo.”

Lisa shook her head, “ _They_ broke it. I would have been fine if they were honest with me, but they hid it for years and left me alone in the process. But that’s in the past now.”

“You moved on from Jennie?” Tzuyu stared at her with a bit of awe; she herself couldn’t even move on from Sana and it’s been years already.

Lisa nodded, “I’ve already accepted the fact she wouldn’t be mine; like I said, it’s all in the past now. I’m more looking forward to a certain someone in the future.”

Tzuyu widened her eyes, “A certain someone? Who’s that?”

Lisa smirked, “I’m not telling you,” she chuckled cutely when the younger woman frowned at that.

Tzuyu stared back at the couple who were leaving the center to a new destination, recalling the words of Lisa’s mother. She frowned even deeper.  _How was this going to help her with her problems?_

“You okay, Tzu?” the older asked, “What’s on your mind?”

“I’m just thinking about what Auntie said about that book again,” she said honestly.

Lisa sighed, “Sometimes, I don’t understand what Mom says,” Tzuyu moved her gaze to Lisa before nodding along in agreement, “Even Ms. Hwang thinks my mom is a bit crazy.”

 _That reminds me…_ she then asked, “Speaking of Ms. Hwang. I haven’t seen her today.”

“Today is her second anniversary with her girlfriend,” Lisa smiled, “they planned to have a week vacation in San Francisco and celebrate there.”

“California?”

 _“Mhm,”_  Lisa hummed in response. The chime sounded in time as the entrance door to the café opened and Tzuyu could smell the strong scent of bitter coffee from where she was sitting, turning to the source almost immediately. A familiar red head came out with a tray balanced on her free arm and smiled at them as she walked over to their table. It was Park Chaeyoung, who preferred to be called Rosé-eonnie for the sake of name confusion with the small cub.

“Thanks Chaeng,” Lisa smiled, calling the owner by her other name, as the said woman placed their meals on the table. The red head smiled.

“I'm glad that you and Tzuyu could drop by,” Rosé said, giving the youngest at the table a gentle smile in acknowledgement and Tzuyu reciprocated.

“A Manoban always keeps their promises, Chaeng,” Lisa saluted the woman and Rosé just shook her head, chuckling.

“I never doubted that,” Rosé pinched Lisa’s cheek, “I'm going to leave you two and go back to work,” then she bent down, kissing the Thai’s assaulted cheek, before turning to the youngest and ruffled her hair, “It was nice to see you again for today, Tzuyu.”

With that the red‑head went back inside the café.

Tzuyu raised a brow at Lisa who was rubbing her reddening cheek, “Are you and Rosé-eonnie a thing now?”

 _“Hm?”_  Lisa immediately looked at her with wide eyes, “Oh, _no_ , we’re not a couple. She does that all the time whenever we hang‑out or when she visits the library.”

“Visiting the library— how come I didn’t know that?” Tzuyu narrowed her eyes as she took a sip from her mug. Lisa chuckled and shrugged.

“Probably because you always sleep in a corner when you’re done,” she smirked.

Tzuyu rolled her eyes, “Okay, maybe I was, but you could have told me.”

Lisa raised a brow at her, the smirk still across her doll‑like face, “I wouldn’t have told you unless you asked. Besides, you do the same.” Tzuyu groaned.

“By the way,” Lisa began, poking a sausage with her silver fork, “Why don’t you invite Momo and Jihyo with us every lunch? It’s the weekend and they don’t have work after all.”

Tzuyu shrugged, “I'm sure the rest of the girls would insist to have them to stay for a while. It’s a usual thing to hang-out all day in the weekends,” Tzuyu assumed before taking a spoonful of rice.

Lisa hummed and nodded in response, “It's a regular thing then?”

“You could say that,” she said after swallowing the food in her mouth.

“You know… why do you say it in a way as if you’re not part of their group, Tzu?”

She paused for a moment, collecting her thoughts at the sudden question. It had been almost a year now since Tzuyu had distanced herself from them and the youngest couldn’t see herself belonging in their group anymore— which somehow brought a small pang of pain.

Before she could answer the older woman, a sudden cold sensation rushed under her skin and Tzuyu visibly trembled.

She screwed her eyes shut, the silverware dropped onto the plate with a loud clatter, before a fist quickly raised to her mouth as rough cough tore through her throat. Her chest burned with the pain of each terrible heave. She heard the chair scrape against the cemented ground and a hand began rubbing against her back, trying to soothe the pain as tears collected in the corners of her eyes. She was cold and weak. It was like something wanted to come out from inside her so badly, yet she had no power to stop it.

It took a moment for the coughs to die down a bit, and her throat was dry.

“Here,” she heard Lisa say and Tzuyu opened her eyes to see the brunette beside her, holding out a glass of water. The youngest gladly accepted the glass and took large gulps until it was empty.

“It's the first I heard you cough again after a week, Tzuyu,” Lisa said, rubbing her hand on the younger’s back, “Have you been getting enough sleep lately?”

Tzuyu shook her head and her voice cracked as she spoke, “I’ve been having the same nightmares every night  _again_ , Lisa, and it’s only last night did I get a peaceful sleep without them,” her hands were trembling.

“You should take the rest of the day and tomorrow off, Tzu,” Lisa squeezed her shoulders, “I’m sure you understand that your health matters the most to me and Mom.”

“I'm sorry,” she said weakly. Lisa shook her head.

“Don’t be, Tzu,” the brunette reassured, “You know it’s for the best.” Tzuyu could only nod


	6. 04

Evening veiled over the small town and the rain, as Lisa had predicted, began pouring the moment she arrived home. Tzuyu sat on the carpeted floor, huddled under a blanket, with her back leaning against the edge of the couch as she listened to the pitter-patter of the rain echoing through the comfortable silence in the cottage. She kept the house dark, save for the orange light from the cackling fire dancing inside the stoned fireplace; keeping her warm against the chilling weather.

Her journal laid open on the coffee table with her pen in between the new pages, ready to be written on; beside it was the old book illuminated by the orange light from the fireplace.

She shouldn't be writing with barely any light, but she was too tired to stand up. Her face scrunched and a fist found its way to cover her mouth once more as hard cough tore through her throat, small tears welled in the corner of her eyes. It hasn’t stopped after the first one at the café and Ms. Manoban had insisted that she go home for now, leaving the rest of the workload to Lisa— which the latter won’t mind.

Sighing, she closed her eyes and leaned her head back on the soft couch, counting to ten inside her head while taking deep breaths. _Of all the people why does it have to be me?_  Aside from the pain in her aching heart, she had to deal with her sickness as well.

She was born with an illness that even her doctors back in Taiwan couldn’t diagnose. She saw her parents’ tears and panicked faces when she had a sudden attack that left her attached to a life support; the hushed conversations between her doctors and her crying parents. She was only a skinny, little girl that time, she knew what they were talking about; it wasn’t clear, but she knew. The doctors gave her parents a choice.

It was painful, but when the doctors asked her— she didn’t say no.

The memory that day was as clear as her reflection in the mirror. Her parents cried while looking away from where she lied on a hospital bed. Nurses gave sympathetic smiles as they detached the tubes from the machine; doctors telling her that everything will be all right. Little Tzu heard the shrill beeps of the monitor, her sight beginning to blur the picture of her parents crying alongside the doctors and nurses, and everything went black.

_She didn’t die._

Tzuyu opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling as the shadows dance. She hadn’t told her life‑threatening (if she could call it that) experience and the truth of her strange illness to any of her friends—not even Jihyo and Momo—and, instead, lied that she was diagnosed with hypersensitivity to electronic devices.

It was believable enough for them considering that she was living in an authentic and vintage, two‑story cottage house just near the tree line that lead through the forest. The house was centuries old, and generations of her relatives used to live here. It came as a surprise to the young Taiwanese that she would be inheriting the house from her old, childless aunt who died after she turned eighteen.

Nevertheless, she was glad to live away from a bustling city; her parents had agreed that she could live alone, but under one condition that she would be under the care of Lisa’s mother. She didn’t mind. Ms. Manoban and Lisa were the kindest people she had met in this old town; helping her settle in after graduating high school.

She glanced around the living-room and basked in the comforts that had never change since the last owner, however, her gaze landed on a photo frame standing on the mantelpiece.

It was a photo of herself—a freshman—with her eonnies on one afternoon during the autumn carnival while the sky behind them turned red and orange. Nayeon had asked Lisa, who was there with Rosé-eonnie, to take a photo of them. Their smiles were wide and happy as enjoying everyone’s company. It was taken a day before Tzuyu realized her infatuation towards one of them.

The time she realized she was too late. Why? Because the next day, Dahyun had confessed one morning and Sana had said ‘yes.’

A flash of lighting brightened the room with silver light as quickly as it came; thunder roared in the distance; and the battering rain grew heavy outside. Tzuyu sighed, shifting under the blanket.

How could she move on when she’ll continue to write about her? She reached forward to the coffee table and closed the journal with her pen sandwiched between the pages. A growing ache began to form in the back of her head; her hands began trembling as she leaned back on the couch once more, steadying herself. Her gaze fell on the old book with its faded red leather and gold linings glistening under the firelight.

_Why do people seek for love when it hurts?_

“And how is this going to help me?” She asked no one, managing to pick up the book from the table with a shaking hand, staring at it like she was expecting answers to appear. She frustratedly shook her head.  _I must be an idiot._ She opened the book and went to the page after a gold page that’s supposed to be the fly leaf.

_What on earth?_

Tzuyu couldn’t believe her eyes.  _Ink._  Words were beautifully written with accentuated curves from each stroke on the first page, made permanent from the black ink. She gently skimmed through the other pages, but the rest were as blank as a canvas. She squeezed her eyes shut, “I’m just seeing things,” she mumbled under her breath.

She waited for what seemed to be about a minute before she opened her eyes, gaze latching onto the first page once more. It was still there.

_“To the one with a broken heart.”_

Was all it said. Curiously, her trembling hands—the tremor hasn’t stopped—to the next page as her heart pounded nervously against her chest and more words greeted her. She was sure that there was nothing written when she opened it at the library.

“This is creeping me out,” she muttered, her mind scrambling for possible answers.

But what she noticed was after reading the acknowledgement, a paragraph had appeared on the next page that she knew—for certain—was empty; the book, itself, wanted to make sure she was reading what it has to say. However, it wasn’t the block of paragraph written in the most beautiful penmanship in black ink that surprised her.

It was  _her name_  written in the same penmanship; in her mother tongue.

Her heart fastened its pace. She wants to believe that this was merely a cruel prank on her… she wanted too… but how could she explain the _magical_ appearance of this page? _No one_ knew about her about her birth name other than her parents and doctors at Taiwan; not even her friends knew about it; not even Lisa or Ms. Manoban.

 

 

_My dearest Ziyu,_

_I have watched over you since the day you were brought through Man’s Gate; however, I fear the consequences of your forefathers had taken hold of you. You must bear countless questions but let me tell you the truth of your existence, my dear._

_Years ago, the Necromancer sent his wraiths to destroy the firstborn of the Lunarian Council, two year after birth. Your forebearers fled and passed through Man’s Gate, towards the mundane world, where the Dead Kings could never pass; where the spirits of our magic never dwelled. It is written, that when two decades had passed, the queen will return and dispel the darkness that plagued our lands._

_Ziyu, for two decades you have experienced the mundane world without the knowledge of your true existence. I have witnessed you grow from a little girl to the you woman you are today; witnessed your heart become enamored and broken. Often you believed Lady Fate is against you._

_It is time, my darling child. The shadows grow with each passing day and your people awaits the return of their queen. The torment in your soul will destroy you as you deny the truth._

_Find the path the could lead you towards Man’s Gate and then you will see the world you were destined to protect. I have sent someone to guide your way; she has been awaiting your return. The gate will only open for the blood of this realm, waiting._

_We shall wait for you, Lady Ziyu. It is time to come home._

 

 

There was no signature in that page. She took deep, shaky breaths as the rain continued to beat harshly against the surface; the fire continued to dance inside the fireplace; and her hands continued to sweat and tremble. It seemed like time had stopped when she read.

Tzuyu swallowed the lump that had formed inside her throat as she slumped against the edge of the couch, bringing the blanket closer to her cheeks to protect her from the cold. But she wasn’t freezing. She stared at the old book, confused and a bit terrified of the unknown.

What could this all mean? She knew that the book addressed to her, but it could have been referring to someone else. But it was blank the first time she found it, there was no other explanation that it was speaking to her.

Tzuyu shut her eyes, buried her head on her knees as she hugged her legs close to her chest, “I don't understand...”

 


	7. 05

The rain had dwindled to a drizzle; the fire was burning low inside the fireplace, and the coldness enveloped the living room as the light dimmed. She sighed. Countless questions raced through her head, one after another, and the young woman was torn between believing the book or not. It was unbelievable; too impossible to be real.

And yet, here it was.

Tzuyu raked her fingers through her brown hair, groaning in frustration. She has no idea what to do about it; she might be beginning to hallucinate things now. _That seemed more easier to explain._

 _Thud._ She snapped towards the window with her heart thumping against her chest, only to notice a tree branch hitting the cottage outside as it swayed dangerously against the harsh wind. She took deep breaths to calm herself down, counting to ten inside her head as she did so. Tzuyu then picked up her smart from the couch and dialed a familiar number.

 _Ring…_ _Ring…_ It took another call before the other line answered; Tzuyu could hear the rustle of bed sheets and a low groan—she quickly glanced at the vintage clock on mantelpiece.  _11:56PM._ It was late.

 _“Tzuyu is there something wrong?”_  they asked, concern laced on the husky voice—having just woken up in the evening.

Tzuyu bit her lip guiltily, “I-I’m sorry to wake you up, Lisa.”

 _“Hey, hey, it’s fine. You can call me up anytime,”_  Lisa quickly reassured,  _“So what’s the matter, Tzu?”_

“I-I think I’m seeing things, Eonnie,” she stuttered for a bit, raising the blanket up to her chin, her eyes on the faded red leather bound, “It’s the old book.”

 _“What happened, Tzu?”_ Lisa asked, seemingly wide awake now, _“What are you talking about?”_

“I opened the book again and there’s a note written in it,” she explained, “Please tell me I’m just seeing things…”

 _“But that’s impossible, Tzuyu,”_ Lisa said with disbelief, _“What does it say?”_

Tzuyu took a deep breath before continuing in one go, “It talked about a Man’s Gate; a Necromancer; and, uhm, something called a Lunarian Council; it even addressed me with my birth name. This is creeping me out, Lisa.”

 _“H-Hold on, Tzu,”_ she could hear rustling from the Thai’s end on the line, _“But did you say the Lunarian Council?”_

“Yeah,” Tzuyu glanced at the book, “I don’t understand, Lisa. First, there was nothing and now words appeared out of nowhere like it’s trying to talk to me or something.”

 _“You said it addressed you with your birthname?”_ Lisa curiously asked, _“You have another name?”_

“Yeah, it’s Ziyu,” she answered, “I don’t want to jump into conclusions, and it might be referring to someone else, but no one knew about it, Lisa. Only my parents.”

 _“Oh my god… oh god…”_ she heard the older woman on the line, _“Of course, I’m a fucking idiot!”_

Tzuyu furrowed her brows, “Lisa? What’s going on?” she could hear more rustling of the bedsheets and wondered what the older brunette was doing.

 _“Look, uhm, Tzuyu”_ Lisa spoke after a while, _“I’ll have to ask Mom about this right now, hopefully she’s still up at this hour. She’s the only who could explain about all—”_ someone groaned in the background at Lisa’s end of the call.

 _“Lisa…”_ a feminine voice called softly, _“Who are you talking to?”_ the voice was a bit raspy from having woken up, likely from their conversation on the phone; Tzuyu already knew who it was.

 _“Oh, it’s just Tzuyu, Chaeng,”_ she heard the older brunette said, _“She’s just told me something important,”_ while Lisa was talking to the red head, Tzuyu was left to wonder about the reality of their relationship for a brief moment. _Are they really together or not?_

 _“Oh… Hi Chewy,”_ Rosé greeted sleepily, _“Hurry up, Lisa, and come back to bed when you’re done,”_ it was faint, definitely meant to be heard by the said brunette, but Tzuyu heard it clearly. Okay…?

 _“I will,”_ Lisa chuckled at the read head, _“Anyway, Tzuyu, I’ll go ahead and talk to Mom about this, okay? The sooner, the better.”_

“I’m really sorry for bothering you, Lisa,” Tzuyu apologized with a sigh, “But Auntie might be sleeping by now; you don’t need to wake her up.”

 _“It’s going to be alright, Tzu; you’re not a bother to us,”_ Lisa said, _“Just don’t be guilty about it, okay?”_

“A-Alright. Thank you, Lisa.”

_“No problem. Just don't think about it too much okay, Tzu?”_

“Okay. Goodnight.”

 _“Goodnight,”_ With that, the call ended. Tzuyu sighed and leaned back on the couch, an arm draped over her face.  _Maybe I should head to bed as well._

 

\--

 

“Shit.”

The vintage clock on her bedside table said _3:30AM._ Tzuyu completely believed that it had to do with the old book resting on her desk in front of the large window; there was no use trying to sleep when all she would end up doing is toss and turn on the bed. She sighed.

Deciding that she couldn’t stay inside her room, she stood up from the comforts of her bed and went to change inside her wardrobe.

Sooner enough, the scent of the atmosphere after the rain filled her senses when she stepped out of the front door. Old fashioned lamp posts that lined the cobbled street, stood tall and illuminated with an orange glow that mimicked the fire inside a fireplace. The streetlamps were using gas or oil rather than electricity and somehow it doesn’t seem odd for Tzuyu since the town is old.

 _Maybe they just stuck with tradition._  She tied her hair up and descended the steps of her front porch.

She wanted answers and the letter that  _magically_  appeared on a blank page did nothing but give more questions. She doesn’t even believe in things such as magic and destiny; they were only childish dreams and wishful thinking.

She doesn’t want to believe the letter, but it doesn’t mean that she won’t go and see for herself whether it is true or not.

That was how Tzuyu found herself standing outside the safety of her cottage house with the old book in a small bag, shivering against the cold wind while instinctively pulled the collars of her jacket close to her cheeks. The tree line loomed eerily under the starless sky that veiled over the old town, but the moon was shining bright enough behind the clouds for Tzuyu to see the shadows of the never-ending evergreens further into the forest. She took a deep breath; a wisp of fog escaped her lips.

“I'm an idiot,” she said to herself.

She took a deep breath and entered the forest. Tzuyu squinted her eyes to see through the darkness with only the moonlight dappling through the boughs, cursing for not bringing a flashlight along.

“Of all the things, why didn’t I bring one?” she mumbled.

The ground was wet under her running shoes as she walked over protruding roots and tried to avoid sudden burrows hidden in the ground. She searched attentively through the darkness surrounding her, trying to look for something unusual or something misplaced. Tzuyu raked her fingers through her hair when she couldn’t find anything but trees.

Does she even know what she’s looking for?

 _Snap!_  Tzuyu whipped behind her and squinted through the darkness. Something rustled against the overgrowth, then the wind picked up, causing strands of hair to land on her face. She took a deep breath when she finally heard footsteps growing louder towards her direction; trying her best to calm the rapid beating of her heart.  _God, I hope this isn’t happening and I’m just back in my bed sleeping—_

“Tzuyu?”

A figure of a woman pushed her way through the bushes and Tzuyu immediately relaxed at the familiar face. She unclenched her fists and shoved her trembling hands inside the pockets of her jacket, avoiding the eyes of the newcomer. Her dark hair cascaded down her shoulders like the streams of a river and her eyes, dark under the atmosphere, were wide with surprise and curiosity at the taller brunette. The dark bomber jacket hugged her close from the cold, and her hands were inside its pockets the same way Tzuyu has hers.

“ _Sana_ ,” she gave a tight smile, “What are you doing here?”

“I should be the one asking you that, Chewy,” Sana tilted her head to the side cutely with a questioning frown on her face, “I was walking around when I saw you enter the forest, so I followed you.”

Tzuyu shrugged her shoulders, “Just wanted to get some fresh air.”

“That’s odd,” Sana raised a brow, “You rarely leave your house, Chewy-ah; as far as I know, you always have an excuse not to go with all of us except for Jihyo and Momo.”

She desperately wanted to change the subject and laughed nervously, “That doesn’t matter right now. What about you? It's already late in the evening. Did come from Dahyun's house? I didn’t see you on the way here and I would have because yours is just down a few blocks from mine.”

“Don’t even try and change the subject, Tzu. I know your avoiding my question and I want to know why,” Sana crossed her arms against her chest and repeated, “Why Tzuyu?”

Tzuyu languidly shook her head, “I don’t want to bother any of you guys and just like you said, Momo and Jihyo are there to accompany me.”

“Then why can't I?” Sana suddenly asked, taking a few steps towards the surprised girl.

Tzuyu blinked at the sudden question from the shorter brunette.  _What do you mean?_  “I-I... It’s just...” she stuttered.

Sana stopped a few inches closer from the tall girl, “What is it that you can’t tell me, Chewy-ah. All of us are friends, yet you’re keeping yourself away from us. We thought that maybe you need time and wait for you to tell us. But I can’t stand it anymore, Chewy. Especially now that Jihyo and Momo won’t even tell us.”

Tzuyu fell silent at the sudden confrontation from the Japanese. She stared back at the older woman’s intense gaze, and the Taiwanese felt cold sweat trickling down the temples.

 _How was she going to say that all of this was because of the woman before her?_ She scrutinized Sana before her and noticed something different  _just now._

“Did you dye your hair this afternoon?” Tzuyu asked, narrowing her eyes at the brunette, “Your hair was blonde this morning.”

A pregnant pause settled between them and the rustling of leaves were the only noise that was heard.

Suddenly, Sana giggled, “You really  _are_  in love with Minatozaki, aren’t you?  _Zhou_.”

 _What the hell—_  Surprised, Tzuyu took large steps back away from the brunette and stared at the smiling woman incredulously. A thick cloud of mist suddenly enveloped Sana’s entire figure, and Tzuyu covered her mouth to prevent breathing in whatever the mist carries.

She watched with complete bewilderment when the mist dissipated and revealed a different woman with the same brown hair, wearing a soft linen fabric that draped around her feminine figure, a thin belt decorated around her waist, like a Greek goddess; golden linings adorned the edges of her dress. A smile was plastered on her face, showing the prominent cheek bones and a perfect row of white teeth.

She giggled at Tzuyu’s gaping reaction, “Surprised?” she teased, a perfect eyebrow raised as she did so.

It took a moment for Tzuyu to recover from her shock before shaking her head, “Who-Who exactly are you?”

The woman bowed gracefully, the smile still on her face, “I’m Elkie Chong, and it’s an honor to finally be your acquaintance, Lady Ziyu.”

“H-how did you my name?” Tzuyu frowned, “And what’s with the title?”

Elkie giggled and walked closer to the younger woman, “From where I came from, everyone knows about you, Lady Ziyu; I’ve been told to guide you through Man’s Gate.”

“I don’t understand,” Tzuyu muttered.

Elkie placed a hand on her shoulder, “You will soon.”

Tzuyu nodded. She was hesitant to trust the foreign woman, but she felt like she has no other option. The woman literally transformed through a mist; she’ll probably be able to answers she needed.

“I know that you have a lot of questions in your head,” Elkie said softly. Their eyes locked for a moment and the youngest could see the mirth behind those dark eyes, similar to the ones she had fallen in love with, “and I will answer them as best as I can. Your people need you now, my lady.”

“Okay, then,” Tzuyu hesitantly nodded, “So, where’s this Man’s Gate?”

“Follow me.”

 


	8. 06

She leaned back against the chair, basking in the warm golden rays while the sunlight stained the small town, drying the damp cobbled streets; the gentle breeze, however, was cool and tousled the dark strands of her hair lightly. Soft murmurs from the patrons disturbed the silence through the atmosphere, accompanied by the joyous chirping from the birds, the rustling trees and faint jazz music played through the speakers from inside the café.

With her eyes closed, she breathed in the familiar aroma steaming in her mug, rousing the remaining drowsiness in her veins. She lifted the ceramic against her lips and savored the bitter taste of coffee. A smile graced on her face.

Today was a good day. A rare moment of morning perfection and delights herself in its comforts. From the usual white noise produced in the town, to the homely scent of crisp bread and coffee. She opened her eyes and an elder man passing by lifted his hat with a bright, wrinkled smile.

She returned the greeting with a curt nod and a smile as bright as the sun, “A good morning indeed.”

And like any other rare moments, it was short-lived.

“Yo, Jihyo!” a bright, heavily accented voice shouted from the distance, “Bonjour! Bonjour!”

Jihyo sighed, then mumbled, “I spoke too soon,” to herself before she turned to the source of the voice. A group of familiar figures—a group of couples to be exact—walking towards her direction greeted her and she waved at them and the girls reciprocated.

It was an ordinary routine to eat breakfast together first thing in the morning at the café near town square during weekends that began during college, having realized that each girl is a friend of a friend (all but Tzuyu); somehow, they got along together despite the diversity of their own personalities. And being the responsible one, Jihyo made sure to save a seat for everyone.

Actually… the owner of the café, Park Chaeyoung (commonly known as Rosé for the sake of name confusion), had reserved a table for nine as she had expected the regulars to come by. Jihyo was surprised the first time and Rosé had said that Tzuyu informed her about their arrival—soon enough, it became a routine for them until today.

Jihyo watched with amusement as Dahyun—the one with purple hair—wrapped her arms around the shortest girl’s shoulders who did the same, and the two skipped while waved with excessive enthusiasm at her; the four older women walked behind them like normal people.

She noticed Dahyun’s girlfriend was a bit embarrassed, but a loving smile was plastered on her lips either way. Another couple among the four had their arms laced together, giggling like parents watching their kids be silly. She also noticed that Momo wasn’t with them than usual.

Once the girls had reached their table, a raven-haired immediately sat beside her with a gummy smile on her face.

“Morning, Jihyo,” said the raven-haired, whose name was Mina, “You saved seats for us.”

Of course, the girls didn’t know that Rosé already predicted that they'll eat at her café today. Jihyo simply returned to smile, “Good morning to you too, Mina. Rosé actually expected us and reserved a table out here.:

The shortest woman grinned, “The perks of being friends with the owner, Jihyo.”

“We’re like regulars here, Chaeng,” Jeongyeon ruffled Chaeyoung’s short hair before sitting between the cub and her own girlfriend, Nayeon. The couples sat together as usual: Mina and Chaeyoung; Jeongyeon and Nayeon; then Dahyun and Sana.

Between Jihyo, herself, and Sana were two empty chairs—one of which had become permanently empty for nearly a year. It simply meant that Jihyo will be the third wheel­ for the time being _again_ until Momo, and hopefully, Tzuyu arrives. But even she knew that the youngest wouldn’t likely be here.

“Did you get Momo’s text?” Nayeon asked Jihyo from her seat.

Jihyo shook her head, “No, I haven’t checked my phone.”

“She said she’ll be late because something came up,” Nayeon informed, “Sounded important though.”

Chaeyoung hummed, “Mhm. First thing before breakfast too.”

“That’s the first time she found something important _than_ food,” Jeongyeon quipped, earning a shove and a glare from her girlfriend, “What?”

“Anyway...” Nayeon raised her brow at Jihyo, “I think Momo will tell us when she’s coming, but I thought you’d be the first to know.

Jihyo shook her head, opening her smartphone and found no new message from their other Japanese friend whatsoever.

“Huh, it must be something if Momo hadn’t told you,” Dahyun said, leaning against Sana’s shoulders.

“She usually does, but…” Jihyo said, staring at the two vacant seats on her right, “I think I know where she went.”

Dahyun nodded, “She did say it’s important, so, I guess we’ll just have to wait.”

With that said, it didn’t take long for the women to engage themselves in their own conversations that’s followed by shoves and playful banters. Unknown to them, Jihyo knew what the absent Japanese was up to; in fact, Momo had texted her last night stating that she would go over Tzuyu’s house to persuade the youngest to accompany them for breakfast, despite knowing she’ll would refuse as most of their previous invitations.

Nevertheless, she and Momo held on to that small hope that Tzuyu would be with them without hurting anymore. It’s almost a year now and she wondered how no one else seems to notice the youngest distancing herself.

Jihyo chuckled as she watched the youngsters tease each other. Dahyun was the ball of energy in their group—always so full of laughter and mischief, yet she tends to get serious when necessary. A talented pianist, but there’s more to her than meets the eye and even she surprises them with _more_ unexpected talent—a jack of all trades, as Tzuyu had surprisingly said long ago, but better than most people. It doesn’t take a genius why Sana fell in love with her.

She watched Dahyun tease the small artist about her recent romance-themed exhibition that ended last Thursday. It was no surprise to them that one of the paintings included Mina, but that didn’t stop Dahyun for teasing Chaeyoung—who’s sporting a deep blush on her cheeks—with Jeongyeon joining shortly.

On the other hand, their girlfriends were chatting about the recent news, as if it were a sale from an expensive boutique. Mina, an investigative journalist, had begun talking about the latest headline and the two women listened intently. Jihyo smiled at the sight, recalling how Tzuyu would also listen intently as it mattered to her… only because Sana was also up-to-date with the news.

Jihyo sighed. Sometimes, she wished they never bumped into Tzuyu at the hallway so that the girl would never feel this pain; often times, she wished that there was something she could do for the youngest to move on. It doesn’t matter what it’ll be, but she’ll do anything just to bring back the mirth inside Tzuyu’s sad eyes.

“By the way,” Sana suddenly spoke up, “Did you guys noticed a weird figure yesterday?”

Nayeon raised a brow with a teasing smile, “I’m sure we’ve passed a lot of weird figures, Sana, you have to be more specific than that.”

“I meant while we were out by the forest,” Sana said, “I kept hearing footsteps like someone was walking towards us that morning.”

Dahyun chuckled, wrapping an arm around her girlfriend, “I’m sure it’s just a squirrel, babe.”

Jihyo furrowed her brows in thought. She couldn’t remember anything strange, other than their quality time together. However, Mina spoke up.

“I did feel like someone else was with us,” she said.

Suddenly, Chaeyoung sat up in her chair with eyes wide, “You mean the woman dressed in a Greek costume? Don’t get me wrong, she’s quite beautiful,” All eyes were then on her, but Chaeyoung looked back at them with confusion written all over her face, “What?”

“You saw, but you never told us?” Dahyun asked incredulously.

Mina pouted, “And you said she’s beautiful.”

“Damn, I wish I could have seen her,” Jeongyeon said, which earned a smack on the head from her girlfriend.

“Don’t worry, baby. You’re the only one who’s beautiful to me,” Chaeyoung said before turning to the rest, “But, it didn’t seem important though.”

Sana frowned, “But what if she’s dangerous? You could have at least told us.”

“She didn’t seem hostile to me,” Chaeyoung shrugged, “And besides, she was staring at Tzuyu the whole time with a smile on her face while hiding behind a tree; not the creepy kind though.”

It was Jihyo's turn to frown, “She could be a stalker, Chaeng. I doubt Tzuyu had other friends aside from us, Lisa and Rosé.”

Chaeyoung scratched the back of her head, “I'm sorry, okay? It didn't seem like a big deal because the look in her eyes was the same as Sana-eonnie staring at Dahyun.”

“Eh?” then Mina asked, “We can’t base something from how a person looks at another, Chaengie. I think Jihyo-eonnie is right. Does Tzuyu even know her?” Chaeyoung shrugged her shoulders in defeat.

Jeongyeon chuckled, “Relax guys, our cub probably thought that the stranger could be a perfect girlfriend for Tzuyu to get out of the cottage.”

“Speaking of Chewy,” Sana then turned to Jihyo, noticing the two vacant chairs between them, “Is she okay? She hasn’t been with us like the last time.”

“I thought you hadn’t noticed,” Jihyo said, a bit surprised. It was the first she heard one of their friends ask about the Taiwanese… especially from Sana, who’s attention was constantly on her girlfriend with each second.

Sana furrowed her brows, tilting her head to the side, “What’s that supposed to mean, Jihyo-ah?”

All eyes were on the tanned woman with the same confusion written on their faces and Jihyo sat up straight, shaking her head, “I’m sorry if it turned out a rude, but it’s nearly a year already and I never thought that you’d ask me about Tzuyu.”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Sana asked, genuinely confused, “Like you said, it’s almost a year, but I thought that maybe she’s too busy with work or something and that she’ll tell us when she’s ready,” The rest nodded with agreement, “But lately, it’s likes she’s avoiding us, and since you and Momo always have the chance to be with her, of course, I’d ask you first.”

“I miss our baby Yoda,” Nayeon placed her chin on her palm, elbow resting on the table, “I kept thinking why she wouldn’t join us too.”

Jeongyeon leaned back on her chair and sighed, “Eh, she’s probably still playing the sick card on us.”

Dahyun furrowed her brows, “Yeah, she always says that she’s sick. We’re rarely even exposed to any electronics aside from our smartphones and we always hang-out by the forest.”

“But doesn’t Tzuyu own one?” Chaeyoung asked.

Jihyo scoffed, arms crossed against her chest, “If you guys were concerned, then why haven’t you all approached her?”

The whole table became silent. Jihyo never meant to be rude, but she had become protective of their youngest throughout the time being with her at her lowest. She knew exactly why Tzuyu would never join them, but she couldn’t blame Sana—the blonde wasn’t at fault, and she knew that. Jihyo trusted that Tzuyu knew what she was doing, but the sacrificing of her friendship with them was what she and Momo worried more about.

She sighed, deciding to change the subject. But before she could open her mouth, the sound of chimes pierced through the silence and everyone turned to a tall redhead coming their way with an apologetic smile across her face.

“I’m sorry to keep you all waiting,” Rosé bowed, “I didn’t expect a full house today, and we’re still understaffed. I had to call Lisa to come over and help.”

“It’s okay, Rosé,” Mina said with a smiled, “We might have forgotten to head inside.”

Rosé chuckled lightly, “All right then, I’m assuming you’ll still have the same orders as last time?” They all nodded before she listed it down on a pad. She then lifted her head and noticed the missing presence of certain someone, “You guys are missing one person?”

“Two, actually,” Sana corrected softly.

Dahyun smiled at the redhead, “Momo texted that she’ll be late, but we’re not sure about Tzuyu; she stopped joining us lately.”

Rosé slowly nodded, her eyes finding Jihyo’s knowingly for a split second, before smiling at the rest, “I’m sure Tzuyu’s at home. She had terrible cough and tremors during their lunch break yesterday; Lisa had to tell her to take the rest of the day off. She looked pale after that.”

Jihyo tensed, “Was she exposed to gadgets? For how long?”

Rosé furrowed her brows, confused, “What do you mean exposed with gadgets? I don’t get it.”

“Tzuyu has hypersensitivity to electronic devices,” Chaeyoung explained, “She can’t be around any electronics for more than an hour.”

“She always said that she’s sick, but she looked fine,” Jeongyeon added, “It’s like she purposely wanted to avoid us or something.”

There was a pregnant pause around them. Rosé frowned with concern, before finally raising a brow at them, “You all mean to say that she had never told you?”

“What do you mean?” Jihyo asked, getting more worried. What else could be something Tzuyu hasn’t told them about? “She tells everything to me and Momo.”

Rosé shook her head, “I'm sorry, but it’s not mine to tell.”

“Please, Rosé. Tell us,” Sana suddenly pleaded, “You said she’s been sick, and we haven’t been with her lately; I don’t think she would tell us anytime soon.”

Rosé stared at Sana with wide eyes. She sighed, “If you must know…”

“Please,” Sana begged, “We’ll visit her right after breakfast, right guys?” The blonde turned to the rest of her friends who nodded.

“Tzuyu’s has been suffering a certain sickness since the day she was born, and no doctor could diagnose what it was,” Rosé began, “Her coughs always sounded like something wanted to come out from the inside and her hands would tremble a lot. It’s unpredictable. Sometimes, she’ll be okay for more than a month and suddenly she’ll pass out. Lisa told me that Tzuyu would faint in the library again and won’t remember a thing about it. She tends to have extreme fevers as well, going more than 39 degrees.”

Mina then asked, “You said _again_. How did you know all about this and has she always been exhibiting those systems since she was little?”

Rosé shook her head, “I know because I’ve seen her suffering when we visit to check on her, but she said that her blackouts started at the beginning of college, right after she met you guys, and then it came back three months ago.”

“Is that why Ms. Hwang was so nice to allow her some days off every week?” Chaeyoung asked, recalling Momo talking about the youngest’s work.

Rosé nodded, “That’s right, but you know Tzuyu; she’s stubborn as a bull. Lisa would call me to bring them soup in the staff room and I can only assume that Tzuyu was working while sick again.”

“That kid,” Jeongyeon mumbled to herself, shaking her head, “Always keeping to herself.”

A heavy silence settled upon them and no one dared to talk, processing the information they heard from Rosé. Jihyo was concerned and she knew the rest were feeling the same. Tzuyu was in physical pain and no one knew apart from Lisa and Rosé, the women who treated the youngest as a family.

“Who else knew about it, Rosé?” Jihyo asked. She had to know.

The redhead said, “There’s Mrs. Manoban and Ms. Hwang, only the four of us. I honestly assumed you all knew… well, until now.”

“I don’t know what to say,” Nayeon sighed.

“I'm sorry,” Rosé gave a sad smile, “Sometimes, even I wonder what goes through her mind.”

“I wonder about that too,” Sana mumbled, but Jihyo heard it clear as day.

“I’ll head into the kitchen now. You guys would need a full stomach before heading to Tzuyu’s cottage,” with that, Rosé left their table.

 _Just how much pain do you have to endure, Tzuyu?_ Jihyo thought to herself.


	9. 07

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who have been following The Other Side and have not read the updated previous chapters of Ch. 00 – Ch. 6; please do re-read as there are details that may be relevant for the next chapters starting from this one. For the new readers, however, do continue on.

 “Can you tell me about this book?” Tzuyu asked the brunette walking in front of her, her hand absentmindedly resting on the small bag across her shoulder where the said object hid. Elkie merely gave a small smile as she glanced at the younger woman over her shoulder.

“It’s a messengers used exclusively by the members of the council to communicate with one another,” she spoke while avoiding protruding roots from the ground and sudden burrows that her feet could get caught, Tzuyu followed her lead, “It’s usually passed down to the next heir and the contents of the messages will never reveal itself to anyone else unless you are the holder of the book.”

Tzuyu frowned, trying her best to comprehend the information while ducking under a low branch, “Then how come I could read the first message?”

“It’s simple to say that the message was intended for you,” Elkie said, “For example, you cannot read the previous messages written for the last holder because they were not for you to read and that you don’t have the blood of the member of the council.”

“So, it was referring to me…” Tzuyu mumbled. She then leaped over a large root, “But are you talking about the Lunarian Council? It was mentioned in the book.”

“Yes, I was,” Elkie nodded, “You could read the message because you descended from one of the members of the sacred council,” she told her as if it were as simple.

Tzuyu nodded tentatively before asking, “Then what about the Lunarian Council? What is it?” They reached a stream where an old, fallen tree laid across the water.

“The Lunarian Council is a sacred order that was created to fight against the Legion during the second war in Xylanden, your home country at the other side of Man’s Gate,” Elkie explained as she climbed on the old tree.

“I can’t understand all you’re telling me… Elkie, was it?” Tzuyu said as she continued to follow the woman, climbing up the log and walked across with perfect balance that could make her Mina-eonnie proud if she was there.

It wasn’t the first time she had wandered through the forest as she spent some time on her own exploring like a child, and sometimes she’d bring Momo and Jihyo along with her, “All of this is happening so fast.”

Elkie simply chuckled and hopped from the log, landing on the ground with such grace, “I don’t expect you to learn everything all at once, my lady. It’s best to digest things one at a time for you to fully understand.”

Tzuyu jumped down a moment later. They had reached a thicket and the Taiwanese followed Elkie. The evergreens stood tall around them as they ventured in and her sleeves would tend to get caught in the branches of the undergrowth.

“I still can’t believe any of this,” Tzuyu sighed under her breath, “I don’t believe in such things. Like magic or fate, but here I am, walking through the forest with a complete stranger and probably get myself killed without anyone ever finding me—listening to things that are logically impossible.”

Elkie suddenly halted her pace and turned to face the younger woman, an apologetic smile plastered on her lips, which made Tzuyu a bit guilty from speaking her mind that Elkie had ultimately heard.

She took a few steps forward, closing the distance between them, and placed a hand on her cheek. Tzuyu would have instinctively stepped back, but she stood surprisingly still as if her body had a mind of its own, granting this complete stranger such proximity. Elkie gently caressed her skin that made her heart beat loudly against her chest from the unexpected intimate gesture, for no one had done that to her other than her mother back in Taiwan.

“I’m very sorry, Tzuyu,” she said in the softest voice that the latter had to lean closer to hear, eventually pressing her cheek against the shorter woman’s hand, “They had to keep the truth from you to protect you. We weren’t supposed to meet this way, myself as a complete stranger to the one I'm bound to be with. And it breaks me to see you suffer each day from your sickness. The images flashing through your head, the tremors on your hands, the faints with no recollection of it happening… it’s hard to watch from afar when I know that I could do something about it, but I couldn’t—you weren’t ready."

She took a deep breath, her hand sliding down to her broad shoulder, and her gaze moved to the dirt under their feet, “Yet here you are with me, in the middle of the forest, with no faith in everything I say. Your thick walls had done their work in guarding you against the unknown.”

No words would leave her mouth as Tzuyu listened to Elkie apologizing for something she had no power to change or rewrite. She didn’t expect her to know about her sickness, but then, Elkie seemed like the only person who knew about her entire existence (as she had stated) and the reason behind it. Sure, there are things that need to be clarified, but all of this seemed so impossible… breaking every law of logic and science

 It’s hard to believe everything, even though it was already evident from the past few hours before she agreed to follow her. Tzuyu sighed.

“I- Please, don’t apologize,” Tzuyu stuttered, “I’m just being an idiot. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you like this- it’s just… a lot of things are happening and—” Elkie pressed a finger on her lips, shushing her rambling.

“I have plenty of reasons why I should apologize to you, Ziyu,” she sighed, calling the younger by her birth name, “Things that I’m guilty of and wished I could have done for you. You were only a baby when it happened and it’s not your fault that you know nothing…” Elkie lifted her gaze from the ground and locked her eyes with the taller woman.

Tzuyu heaved a heavy sigh, “I- I don’t know, Elkie. I can barely understand everything you tell me,” she confessed, “It- It goes against the natural order of things… it’s impossible to believe in. There’s barely even evidence that could prove if these things true.”

Elkie dropped her hand to the side and said, “The world you came from is far from this place, Ziyu. It has nothing about the things you believe in the mundane and inside your heart, you know that too…”

Silence settled between them once more. The slither of silver from the pale moon dappling through the boughs above them, while motes of light floating around the forest as the fireflies danced. There were too many questions going through her head all at once as they stood there still in each other’s presence.

Tzuyu wanted to say something—ask her something, but all that registered in her consciousness was how Elkie appeared like an ethereal goddess under the light of the moon. The golden linings on her dress and the silver decorations on her hair glimmered, making her seem like a dream.

Honestly, she doesn't know how many hours have passed as they walked through the forest or how farther she had ventured away from the safety of her cottage home. It seemed too late to go back and snuggle under the promise of a soft bed. She took a deep breath.

“Then take me there,” she decided, “Make me believe.” A small smile grew on the shorter woman’s lips and, Tzuyu had no doubt, it made Elkie prettier than the current dream-like state she appeared to be.

“Come on, we’re closer to the gate now,” Elkie said, “After the thicket, we will arrive at the meadow; the gate lies after that.”

\---

“Hey, Momo…” Sana called from their living-room, “Have you ever felt like something is weird lately?”

A spoonful of rice paused hallway towards her mouth as Momo listened to the other blonde lounging on the couch with a cushion in her arms, “I do,” she said, “It happens all the time when I’m hungry. You know that weird grumbling feeling in my stomach,” she added before shoving the rice in her awaiting mouth.

Sana chuckled half-heartedly, “I meant, like, something feels wrong. You know what it is, and you think you know why, but you don’t. It comes with a weird feeling that I can’t point out what.”

“I don’t get it,” Momo raised a brow, a can of soda raised against her lips, “Please elaborate.”

Sana whipped her head towards Momo from the couch, but her eyes were trained to the wooden floor with her brows creasing in the middle as if she were in deep thought. Then she asked, “Do you think that Chewy doesn’t want to be with us because of me?”

Momo chocked on her drink and coughed. Sana lifted her eyes to her best friend and sat up from the couch, concerned, “Oh my gosh, Momo! Slow down.”

It took a few more moments and a glass of water to calm down her down. To say that she was surprised from the sudden question was an understatement, Momo was shocked. It was the first time in a long while that Sana had mentioned Tzuyu without complaining about the latter being missing in action for months. That usually happens when she learns that the youngest rejected their invitations once again, but now… it was unexpected.

She was glad that the youngest hadn’t left this dense woman’s mind after all. But she did ask the latter on the couch, “What made you think that?” Sana shrugged and Momo could see that her best friend was as confused as herself.

“I mean, Chewy and I used to be close, remember?” Sana said, sinking back on the couch, “Since that day I bumped into her at the hallways at the university—"

“You two became inseparable since then,” Momo said as a matter-of-factly, cutting her off, “Truthfully, you were the one throwing yourself on her and drag Tzuyu around the campus so you two could hang out.”

Sana rolled her eyes, “I know, you and Jihyo always tease me for that, but that’s not what I want to talk about,” she said, “I feel like I did something wrong, Momo. She used to tell me everything… but now, I don’t know what happened between us…"

There was a pause between them for a moment and Momo made a mental note to remember everything Sana was saying right now. It could help the youngest and ultimately have her back with them. (And that she wasn’t talking about Dahyun like the lovey-dovey girlfriend she is that hurts Momo in the wrong place inside her chest.) Sana sighed.

“I felt that something went wrong after Dahyun and I got together the day after the carnival, but I thought it was nothing,” Sana said, and Momo couldn’t help but feel a bit of pain; she shrugged it off.

Sana stared blankly at the ceiling, “After that things seemed normal, but now… it’s like Chewy is avoiding us—avoiding _me_. Honestly, I haven’t stopped wondering what’s really on her mind and I keep telling myself that maybe she needs time before telling us…"

She then turned to Momo with a sad smile, “But seeing that she’s closer to you and Jihyo now, I can’t help but feel responsible for all this.”

Momo quickly shook her head, “It’s not your fault, Sana. Tzuyu’s just having a hard time right now and I trust that she’ll tell us soon.” _She’ll tell you soon when she’s ready._

Sana merely turned to face the window that overlooked the street—the street that also leads to the Taiwanese’s cottage. She sighed, “I feel like I’ve neglected her, Momo… what kind of friend am I?”

Momo stood up from the kitchen counter, having finished her dinner and dumped the takeaway containers in the trash bin. She washed her hands before joining the sentimental Japanese on the couch.

“She’ll come back to us, Sana. Tzuyu just needs time,” Momo assured, “You know our Tzuyu. She’s still young and it’ll take her a bit longer to figure things out.”

Sana spoke without turning to her best friend, “But why does she have to push us away?”

Momo sighed, “You and I both know that she’s stubborn, Sana. But this is something she has to figure out on her own.”

“Why can’t you and Jihyo tell us the truth, Momo?” Sana turned to the other blonde with furrowed brows, and the latter knew that she was beginning to be frustrated and confused, “I’m her best friend too, but I know nothing… but you and Jihyo do. What is it that she can’t even tell me, Momo?”

Momo could only smile sadly. If only you knew Sana-chan, “She never told us, Sana. Jihyo and I found out about before Tzuyu even realized what it was… and it’s not something for me to tell,” the other blonde sighed in defeat and Momo added, “I’m sorry, Sana-chan.”

Sana merely shook her head sadly, “I just miss her, Momo. I really do.”

The sky was painted in the brightest hues of blue and the golden sunlight were touching the roofs of the town when Momo stepped out from the house she shared with Sana, the said woman was preparing inside to pick-up Dahyun for breakfast with the rest of their friends—at the café their friend Rosé owned. The natural scent of the post-rain atmosphere and damp ground greeted her, followed by the cool breeze that brushed against her pale skin. It was still cold outside, but it was bearable enough as she was simply wearing a thin turtle neck sweater and jeans.

Momo had woken up earlier than usual, which was considered a miracle between her and her best friend, to complete a mission she had promised herself last night. As obvious as it was, the mission involved persuading Tzuyu to join them for breakfast this morning. Although it wouldn’t be simple as the youngest had rejected their previous invitations before, but she has to try.

She hasn’t texted Jihyo about her conversation with Sana last night, but she did tell her about her plan. She took a deep breath before heading down the steps of their front porch, out the gate, and into the street.

“Sana misses you, Tzuyu,” she called to the youngest in her mind, “A lot.” She felt that there’s finally a small light of hope for the youngest to _finally_ be happy. Or move on, for that matter.


	10. 08

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Attempted Descriptive Gore Ahead

 

Dry red and gold leaves crushed under their feet, barely reverberating through the silence as the crickets ceased their songs at some point through the night. The fluttering of the wings scared her a bit while they were walking, not without a few breaks here and there, but she was used to it now. But even though it felt like an eternity as the evergreens grew denser with each tentative step, Tzuyu continued to follow Elkie.

The atmosphere had gradually veiled the forest into an ethereal hue of blues, enough for them to see their surroundings, as the dawn took over. In Tzuyu’s mind, it was a miracle they hadn’t encountered a bear or other beasts along the way. A few meters ahead of them, she could see a cliff face and wondered how they are going to go around it.

However, when the two of them had reached the bottom, Elkie stopped and turned to her with a small smile, “We’re here,” Elkie said softly, which made Tzuyu furrow her brows.

“I don’t get it,” She said as she eyed the wall, “I thought we’re going through a gate?”

Elkie simply said, “This is Man’s Gate. It’s not meant to be grandeur as you might have thought it would be. This was sealed from this world for centuries until recently.”

Tzuyu furrowed her brows. She did think that it would be something out of place in the middle of the forest, something that goes along the lines from a unique geological formation or a man-made structure— not a bare wall at the bottom of the cliff.

“Look closer and tell me what you see,” Elkie said while she was staring at the blonde with the confusion written on her usually stoic face.

Despite how perplexing this was beginning to be, Tzuyu turned her attention back and scrutinized the wall for a good few minutes. There was simply nothing strange about it. The exhaustion was slowly creeping under her skin the longer she stood still, and her eyes were beginning to blur a bit. She tried to concentrate anyway. As she was about to tell the older woman that there was nothing, something caught her attention right as she was about to turn away.

There was a _perfectly_ clean crack that went up and Tzuyu followed with her gaze, taking a few steps back to get a better view. It made an outline of a vast entrance. Right then, she noticed the subtle markings engraved that followed the arched crack, blending against the cliff. She swore that there was a hint of glimmer on the wall, even though there was no direct sunlight.

Tzuyu quickly turned to Elkie, who was smiling knowingly as she watched her, “I-I think I see it. A-And there are runes on it.”

“It wasn’t so hard, wasn’t it?” She said as she walked to stand at her right, “Those runes are an ancient language of the Valiore, the gods and goddesses of our world.”

Tzuyu asked, “Can you read it?” But Elkie shook her head.

“No one could read the language except the Elders. They rarely spoke it unless they want to commune with the Valiore,” She said, “But to make it simple, it says that it opens to the people from the other side.”

She then pointed at a mark that was barely visible in the center, “See this one?” It formed with two loose-lines (like the letter “S”) intersecting in the middle like a cross, with two circles at the inner ends of the horizontal line, “It’s the symbol of Itheril, the goddess of life, the mother of the Valiore.”

“I’m sorry…” Tzuyu blinked in confusion, “But I didn’t quite catch the name.”

Elkie gave an amused smile before dictating clearly, “Eye-ther-il.” Tzuyu nodded. The blonde then stepped forward and placed her hand on one side of the mark, “Place yours on the other.”

Tzuyu was bewildered when she placed her right hand on the mark, and she felt a cool, _smooth_ surface that left tingles under her palm instead of the jutting and pricking from the natural shape as she initially thought. Beside her, Elkie closed her eyes and began to speak softly.

The blonde was speaking in a foreign language that was never heard in anywhere across the world. Tzuyu was sure of it. Yet, to her own surprise (again), she could _understand_ each word like it was her mother-tongue.

“By the divinity of Goddess Fate, I open Man’s Gate with the blessing of her daughter, the Goddess Itheril, to return for we bear the blood of her creation,” She heard Elkie say, “And may the Valiore, children of Itheril, protect us as we cross the bridge of Vilhal to our homeland.”

Out of nowhere, a gust of wind brushed against her cheeks and a shiver went down her spine. Red and golden leaves fell to the ground as the trees began rustling loudly around them. A lone wolf howled in the distance and, one by one, a few more joined the song of their alpha. Right then, she could hear faint whispers coming from different directions all at once, speaking among themselves inside her mind with another language she couldn’t understand—it wasn’t the one Elkie spoke a few seconds ago. She then felt cold.

“What’s going on?” Tzuyu asked as her hands begun to tremble and her heart began to race. She was afraid, yet she knew that was also her sickness having caught her for the day as the familiar, unwanted itch grew inside her throat. Her free hand covered her mouth as she coughed loudly.

“It’s the Valiore talking to each other,” She heard Elkie said before she felt a hand soothing her back, “It doesn’t want you to leave, Ziyu.”

Tzuyu could feel the tears welling up in the corner of her eyes, it was more painful than yesterday, and each cough left her weak. Her voice rasped when she managed to ask, “What?”

“Whatever it is that attached itself in you, it doesn’t want you to leave,” Elkie said with concern, yet there was certainty with each word she spoke. _Something inside me…_ What is really going on?

She heard a deep rumble from the inside of the cliff face before she felt the vibrations under the palm of her hand down to the ground under her feet. The tumbling rocks became clear as a few fell near them that she and Elkie immediately pulled back. She felt Elkie held her tightly, supporting her weight, as she stumbled to the ground. She has never felt this weak since that day the doctors pulled her life support. A thick crack appeared eerily from the bottom and split the wall in half. The _gates_ slowly slid open to the side and locked itself with a loud thud.

“This,” She heard Elkie said above her head, “Is Man’s Gate.”

Behind the gate was a cavern. However, it wasn’t dark as Tzuyu would have thought. In fact, nothing that happened here seemed to be what she had expected. Through the cavern was a meadow decorated with various colored flora that scattered across the grassland, swaying against the breeze that slipped past through the gate and tousled the fringes off her face. Ahead from the meadow, she could see a wooden bridge that led into a mist to god knows where. Two short statues, holding a torch that emitted blue fire, stood on each side of the posts that held the bridge.

Elkie nudged her gently, “I should warn you that is not as peaceful as it seems, and danger awaits when we cross that bridge. This gate passes through the spiritual realm of Vilhal, the former home of the Valiore, and at the end of it is the Glass Lake.”

“Isn’t it—” she coughed, and her voice cracked as she asked, “Supposed to be peaceful considering it’s a home for the gods.”

Elkie shook her head, a sad smile on her face, “It used to be until darkness poisoned their realm. The Valiore moved to the mortal world and inhabited a land far from our own across the Great Sea instead,” Tzuyu could feel her careful stare as she asked, “Can you walk?”

“I’ll have to try,” She said as she tried to stand and Elkie helped her up as she did, “What other choice do I have?”

“Your answers await on the other side,” Elkie said, holding the taller woman in her arms tighter, “I could only pray for our journey to be safe.” There was _definitely_ no turning back now, “Are you ready?”

Tzuyu took a deep breath, the itch unbearable in her throat, and her voice cracked when she said, “Y-Yeah.”

\---

 _Knock. Knock. Knock._ Momo sighed and took a step back from the door once more, waiting. It may be early in the morning, but she knew Tzuyu was an early bird and she knew that the youngest would likely be reading those academic books or Nat Geo and Animal Planet magazines in her bookshelf, before cooking herself some breakfast. When she arrived at the wooden gate however, she had a tingling feeling that something was wrong. The cottage felt cold.

Momo stood by the door as a few minutes passed, yet there was no sign of the owner opening the front. She knew that Tzuyu never liked keeping her anyone waiting longer than a minute. She called, “Tzuyu!”

Silence.

 _Huh. She must be out._ Momo grabbed the doorknob and twisted it, only to find the front door unlocked. The tingling feeling she had earlier grew cold inside her stomach. She didn’t like it. Tzuyu would never leave the door open.

Momo stepped into the foyer and glanced around her surroundings, there was strange until she immediately noticed the usual black, hooded winter jacket on the hooks to her right was missing among the rest of her coats. The one that happened to be Tzuyu’s favorite. She wanted to assume that Tzuyu went out and forgot to lock the door.

She went up the stairs and made her way to her friend’s bedroom at the end of the hallway. She fished her phone from her pocket and dialed Tzuyu’s number. It ringed, and the familiar, piercing ringtone of the latter’s own rang from inside the bedroom. Momo waited for a while until the call ended in a voicemail.

Momo twisted the knob and opened the door. She froze. Tzuyu wasn’t inside the room and the abandoned phone was sitting on the mahogany desk filled with strewn, half-written papers. The morning sunlight slipped through the windows, staining the wooden floor scattered with the debris of autumn leaves, shards of glass and broken wood. The walls were decorated with large, clawed marks and the lamp had fallen on the floor.

Momo instinctively went to the outlet besides the bed and pulled its cord out. She felt a punch through her throat when a foul metallic scent overwhelmed her, and her eyes went wide at the state of the bed as she straightened herself up. Foam jutted out from the tears on the mattress and the duvet was upturned to the end of the bed, most of it was laid on the floor. Blood drenched the once pristine white sheets, splattered on the headboard and the wall.

But Momo nearly gagged at the sight _on_ the bed itself. A woman was sprawled on the bed—dead.

Chunks of her paper-white skin were torn from her body that Momo could see the smooth surface of dead body’s bones; her abdomen was ripped apart that her innards were spitting out, and tiny maggots were crawling about. Her eyes were wide, staring blankly at the ceiling, and her mouth was hanging open as if she had screamed at the top of her lungs. What seemed as paint, vandalized her face from recognition with red and black—contrasting the eyes so much that Momo couldn’t move to close it. Her hair was strewn and tangled against the pillows, it seemed to add the _unpleasantry_ of the figure.

She heavily took a few steps back until she hit the wall. A sob tore through her throat and she dialed the first person she had thought. She screwed her eyes shut as she slid down the wall, burying her head in the crook of her arm as she pressed the phone against her ear, and praying that the dead woman wasn’t Tzuyu.


	11. 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 10, TOS, is mostly a filler for a bigger plot. It's meant to be informative for the next chapters that will follow. Will get back to Tzuyu and Elkie soon :3

The clock on the bedside table glared _12:02 AM_ in green as Rosé turned to the brunette standing beside the window _._ Rain ran down the panes in waves and the loud pitter-patter echoed through the silence of the bedroom. She immediately sat up when Lisa ended the call and rushed towards the closet, muttering curses along the way.

“Shit. Shit. Shit. I’m so stupid,” she heard from the brunette. Rosé furrowed her brows, confused, when Lisa began changing her clothes.

“Lisa, what’s going on?” She asked, running her slender fingers through her unkempt hair.

The latter slipped on her jacket before answering, “I’m such an idiot, Chaeng. All this time it was Tzuyu.”

“What about Tzuyu?” Rosé raised a brow, standing up from the bed at the name of their _baby_. She walked to where Lisa was hurriedly gathering some things, who hadn’t heard her question, and held her broad shoulders tightly, “Lisa, slow down. What about Tzuyu?” She asked again.

Lisa stared into her brown eyes and sighed, “She’s Ziyu… All this time.”

“By the Valiores…” Rosé gasped, “You can’t be serious.” But Lisa kept her mouth shut, allowing her to think of the possibilities of the fact. She used to amuse herself that Tzuyu resembled the statue in the center of town square and know that Lisa had told her, it couldn’t be a coincidence. She then hurried to change her nightclothes as well, letting go of her grip on the brunette’s shoulder.

“We’ll head to Mom’s place,” Lisa said by the door, “I hope she’s still up.” With that Rosé joined her by the door and the two rushed out of their shared apartment above the café.

\--

The rain had dwindled to a drizzle when the two women arrived at a vintage house beside the harbor, and Rosé could see the lights coming from the living room. Lisa’s mother has been waiting for them. She and Lisa took two steps at a time on the front porch, and the brunette quickly knocked on the door. It opened minutes later to reveal the loving old woman wrapped in her robes.

Mrs. Manoban frowned at their drenched state and quickly widened the door, “Come in and dry yourselves by the fire. You two could have at least used an umbrella.”

“Sorry, Auntie,” Rosé bowed politely, “We were in a rush to get here.”

“And for good reason,” the old lady sighed, “Let me get you girls some towels. I’ve prepared tea in the living room; warm yourselves.” She disappeared down the hallway and Rosé turned to the brunette shivering by the fireplace.

“Yeah, I know, it was dumb to forget about the umbrella,” Lisa shakily said, giving a goofy smile towards the red head.

Rosé rolled her eyes. Lisa was practically shaking like a wet dog. She sat beside the brunette, warming herself from the fire as well. She then said, “We’ve been dating for years, Lis. You never liked umbrellas since the beginning,” Lisa nuzzled her head against the crook of her neck, “Because you prefer to be a wet dog.” Lisa quickly pulled away; an offended look plastered on her face. Rosé chuckled.

Soon enough, Mrs. Manoban arrived in the living room with fresh towels in hand, handing one to Rosé while throwing the other to her daughter’s face. Lisa groaned, but mumbled a thanks anyway. The red head took the towel from her face and dried the brunette’s hair for her.

“You’re here about Ziyu, yes?” Mrs. Manoban asked as she sat on her armchair, leaning for the teapot and poured the warm liquid into three empty cups, “I was wondering when you two would figure it out.”

“Of course, you knew,” Lisa sighed, then asked, “But why haven’t you told us?” She gestured to herself and her girlfriend, “Surely there must be a reason.”

Her mother nodded, “It was too dangerous for others to know. Since the day Ziyu was brought here, I couldn’t risk having the Wraiths find out.”

“But these creatures can’t pass through Man’s Gate,” Rosé frowned, remembering her studies from the books, “Nor can the Valiores. So why was Ziyu still at risk when she’s perfectly safe in Earth?” Mrs. Manoban gave a small smile to the red head.

“You’ve always been a better scholar between you two,” She said, before heaving a heavy sigh, “But you forget. Vilhal is the spiritual realm, where the former Valiores lived, that _connects_ both worlds. Whatever happens there, affects Earth as well.”

Lisa frowned, “And so far, the Necromancer hasn’t tried,” her mother nodded, “Because he doesn’t have a material body.”

Rosé shook her head slowly and sighed, “I never would have thought that our princess is right under our noses. Tzuyu had suffered so much, I didn’t imagine it would come to this extent.”

“What about her sickness?” Lisa asked, “Does that had anything to do with Vilhal?”

Mrs. Manoban sighed, nodding with a grave expression. The wrinkles creased on her forehead when she furrowed her brows at the memory appearing through her head, and Rosé stared expectantly at the elder. She then stared directly at Rosé, “I know that you felt it, Roseanne.”

Lisa quickly turned to her girlfriend with a frown, “What does she mean?”

Rosé sighed, “When we met Tzuyu, there was something… odd. The feeling was cold as ice and horrifying; it was faint at first, I-I couldn’t understand what it was,” she turned to Lisa with furrowed brows, worried, “When Tzuyu left at lunch yesterday, I felt it again; it was stronger. It was _mocking_ me.”

“That happens when a Wraith attaches itself into a host and becomes an unpredictable parasite,” Mrs. Manoban said, “It becomes aggressive towards beings whose spirits are strong—like your kind, Rosé. It would also feel threatened when the place itself is magical. When threatened and it would attempt to kill the host from the inside.”

Rosé widened her eyes, “You don’t mean to say?” Mrs. Manoban shook her head.

“It’s threatened in this town and our people who hid here,” She said, pressing her lips together, “I was the one who brought Tzuyu here.” Lisa gaped, but Rosé wasn’t surprised. Where the conversation was going had given her a head start in guessing.

“The Lunarian Council agreed that we hide the child to Earth, under the protection of our family,” Mrs. Manoban began, “It was the time I told you that I was needed back on Emerea, Lisa.” Lisa nodded, knowingly.

“When we passed through Vilhal twenty years ago, a Wraith managed to attack us,” She continued, “Your uncles did their best to drive it away, but before it turned into dust—it tore its own piece and attached itself to Tzuyu right when we passed the gate and landed in Taiwan.”

A moment of silence grew between them, until Rosé asked, “The only cure was the Sacred Pool of the Divine Healer, Ayda Zhou. Hidden beneath the castle Zhou.”

“You couldn’t risk returning to Emerea,” Lisa added, “And you gave her under the care of the Mr. and Mrs. Chou, knowing that they’re ancestors were once from our world, even though they didn’t know it themselves.”

Suddenly, lightning flashed outside—briefly brightening the town with blinding light—and thunder clapped, terrifyingly close. The clouds began to cry once more, pouring harder than it had did before, and the wind howled. Rosé took a glance outside, and the waves were terrifyingly large down the harbor. It was like a storm had suddenly come.

“Someone would accompany her on the journey back, but it would not be me,” Mrs. Manoban said as she stared outside the window as well, “I’ve met here a few days ago, when she arrived. She will take care of Tzuyu from now on. She is on her way to the gate now, past the magical barriers of this town.”

Lisa took in a deep breath, shaking her head, “I can’t believe that we’re here while Tzuyu’s out there on her own…”

“You and Rosé have another part to play, and you will join Tzuyu soon,” Mrs. Manoban said, placing the empty teacup on the tray, “By morning, go to her cottage and burn the parasite on her bed with your spirits. If that thing exists here, it’ll prevent Tzuyu from passing through the Glass Lake. It cannot past the barriers of the town.”

“And the rest will be cleansed in Emerea,” Rosé nodded, understanding the situation, “Honestly, it’s been a while since I’ve used my abilities. I’ll have to prepare.”

“Be prepared for it to resist. Wraiths fear fire,” Mrs. Manoban stood up and held her own daughter’s shoulders, “Lisa, a pack never leaves anyone behind. Tzuyu is not alone and she will need you to do this for her. After that, follow her back to Emerea. It’s about time you’ve seen your uncles and cousins in New Trynith after all.”

Lisa sighed, “What about you?”

Mrs. Manoban smirked, “Oh, don’t worry about me, little wolf. Someone must stay behind and look after the town. It needs its guardians from the members of its founders,” she then glanced at Rosé before turning to the brunette again, “I’m surprised that you both took all of this well.”

Rosé gave a weary smile, “It’s still a lot to process if I can be honest… a little too much.”

\--

“You’re right…” Jihyo said as Rosé finished their story, “It’s a lot to process.”

Mina then spoke from beside the leader of their group, “But what you’re saying is that—” she glanced up the stairs and shuddered, “That thing on Tzuyu’s bed is an actual parasite.” The red head nodded.

“Man… it’s like we’re part of a fantasy story or something,” Chaeyoung mumbled, scratching the back of her head.

Silence stretched between the eight women inside the living-room after Rosé had spoken the truth; it was practically too absurd for them to believe, and Rosé knew that—she was prepared for it. However, she could see that no one wanted to think that Tzuyu was dead and are hanging on to that part of the truth. After the silence, Lisa spoke while fiddling through their materials inside the brown shoulder bag she was carrying and fished out a (centuries old) book.

“It’s fine if you don’t want to believe us,” she gave the book to Rosé with a knowing glance, “But we have to burn that thing; otherwise, Tzuyu will _literally_ die.”

“A-alright,” Mina stuttered, having sensed the urgency from them now, “But we can’t burn that thing here.”

Rosé nodded, “That’s right, we can’t. There’s a sacred place down the forest, towards the sea; we’ll have to bring it there.”

“You mean, like, a ritual sight?” Dahyun asked, eyes bulging into saucers.

Rosé shrugged, “More or less. That place was made centuries ago because of the strong presence of the spirits connecting to the other side.”

Nayeon furrowed her brows, “But why do we have to bring it to a ritual sight when we could just burn it on the ground away from the house?” A few heads nodded with her, but Rosé merely smiled.

“It’s not merely lighting a spark on the parasite, Nayeon,” Rosé said, and the oldest woman frowned before asking once again.”

“You mean to say that you need to perform magic?”

Rosé grinned. It was time for Tzuyu’s friends to see the _evidence_ and truth about their worlds, “Yes.”

\---

“Rosé, may I speak to you for a moment?” Mrs. Manoban asked. The two of them were alone while Lisa insisted on heading out to find the ingredients the spell needed, despite being in the middle of the night. The red head nodded.

“What is it, Auntie?”

The old woman said, “I want you to bring the eight girls with you.” Rosé furrowed her brows. _Eight girls?_

Her eyes widened, “Tzuyu’s friends?” She asked and the old woman nodded, “But why?”

“It’s faint, but you could feel it, don’t you?” Mrs. Manoban said, raising a brow while a gentle smile formed on her lips, “They are needed there. For what purpose? I don’t know yet.”

Rosé sighed, “No matter how much I tried to keep my mouth shut, you still managed to know,” she shook her head slowly, chuckling, “Yes, I felt it. But I’m amazed that your animal instincts are sharper than Lisa’s.”

“My daughter has a lot to learn,” the old woman said, sipping on her _third_ tea, “And she had learned enough from me. She needs to learn more in New Trynith. Between you both, you’re more experienced than her.”

“I suppose there’s that,” Rosé mumbled, “I’ll take the girls with us.”


	12. 11

Sana watched Lisa carried the parasite, wrapped in bloodstained sheets, down the stairs. Each woman was concentrated on the brunette taking careful steps. Rosé had opened the old, thick book in her hands and was whispering words Sana couldn’t hear from where she stood inside the living room. Jihyo and Mina sported disgusted frowns on their faces when Lisa finally stepped onto the foyer.

Rosé then snapped the book close and said, “Let’s head out the backdoor.” She purposely went through the hallway and into the kitchen. Nayeon immediately followed after her and Sana, though hesitant, went after the older woman. The rest were still confused but did the same.

Dark clouds covered the once bright sky and the cold bit against her pale skin as she stepped into the back garden, seemingly matching her feelings. Sana recalled the early mornings Tzuyu would water the flowers decorating the entire space when she used to sleep over.

The cottage has always been a warm place, but now she didn’t want to stay inside the dreary old house.

Rosé walked ahead with Lisa following close. Sana went beside Nayeon, whose mind seemed to be elsewhere, while the others were silently behind them. Their footsteps crunching against the dried leaves scattered on the trimmed grass was the only prominent sound against her ears. Rosé unhinged the lock and opened the weather-beaten gate, revealing the forest line not far from the cottage—where she and the girls hung out yesterday.

Sana swallowed the hard lump inside her throat at the thought of Tzuyu staying away from them because of her, always on her desk by the window. Her hand mindlessly held onto Nayeon’s tightly, and the latter didn’t mind.

“I feel like we’re heading to a funeral,” She heard Mina from behind. Her usual soft voice was loud against the growing silence haunting them. This was absurd. Sana and her friends knew it. But neither one of them cared less as she and the rest made their way towards the forest.

 

\--

 

Knees trembling, Tzuyu slowly stood up from the ground with an arm around Elkie’s shoulder as the older woman supported her weight. Each step took large sums of energy from her as they entered the mouth of the cavern. She was left lethargic from the initial pain. It came so sudden, but it wasn’t unexpected—the familiar feeling of being underwater as her head pounded always appear with no notice. The ground rumbled beneath their feet as the gate shut behind them.

This is it. There was no going back, no matter how many times she had mentioned it a while ago. This was the spiritual realm of Vilhal.

Her chest tightened and she stumbled on the soft grass, gasping for breath. The air suddenly seemed thin. Elkie rubbed her back, trying to ease as much of the pain as she could for her—whispering softly while leaning her head against hers. It gradually disappeared and Tzuyu could breathe again.

“You won’t feel the pain for a while, but our travel is only beginning,” Elkie gravely said before pointing at the bridge, “We shouldn’t stay here for too long.”

Tzuyu nodded, taking a deep breath before standing on her feet again. Elkie was right. The pain was gone, but how long? She could only think that it would be enough to cross the bridge.

The breeze whistled through the meadow like a ghost—brushing against her cheeks and tickling her tanned skin. She shivered against the cold seeping through her jacket, the small bag bumping against her hip. A faint melodic shriek echoed from the mountainous horizon beyond the bridge, then more followed, creating a melancholic chorus.

When the chorus ceased, Elkie frowned and said, “Quickly now.”

She ushered her towards the bridge and Tzuyu watched as she picked up the torches from the statues. The blue flames danced as she handed the other to her. Elkie then turned towards the mist before them.

“These flames are casted with spirits,” She said, “It won’t go out no matter how strong the wind blows, and the beasts lurking here are vulnerable to light. Stay close to me.”

The light from the torches did little to see through the thick mist as the bridge creaked under their weight, and the silence other than their footsteps unsettled her. Tzuyu could almost feel like someone was watching her through the fog and she shivered at the thought, holding onto Elkie’s hand tightly.

“We’ll be alright, Ziyu,” Elkie reassured, glancing behind her shoulder with a smile. Tzuyu returned the gesture with an uncertain smile of her own, although hearing the other brunette’s voice made her feel safe— even only for a little bit. Then the other brunette said, “You can ask me anything.”

Tzuyu gave a grateful smile to the other woman and immediately asked, “What were those? It sounded like their mimicking a wolf pack.”

“Those were Weeping Sirens, mutated nymphs that lives in the waters and Rusalki,” Elkie said, a grim tone laced in her voice, “Those horrendous creatures guard the Glass Lake.”

“Rusalki…” Tzuyu repeated, under her breath as the familiarity of the name rolled on her tongue, “I know a bit about them from a book about Slavic Mythology, and these creatures hate humanity.”

Elkie nodded and sighed, “Sometimes, I could see why.”

 _Oh._ Tzuyu turned to the torch in her hand and asked, “The spirits you mentioned earlier… did you mean ghosts?” Elkie glanced over her shoulder with an amused smile, before turning back while shaking her head.

“Spirit is a magical energy that allows magical creatures to cast spells,” Elkie explained, “Like the one I did to ease your pain a while ago. It’s the very life force of this realm and in our homeland.”

Tzuyu furrowed her brows, noticing the subtle pointed ears peeking out from the shorter woman’s brown tresses, and asked, “I hope you don’t mind my next question, but what are you?”

“An elf,” she answered. _That makes sense_ , Tzuyu thought.

The bridge creaked once more and a distant shriek echoed, however, its companions never followed. Elkie stopped abruptly, and Tzuyu nearly crashed against the elven woman. The shriek ended.

“What’s—” She was cut-off when Elkie gestured to keep quiet. Tzuyu squinted through the mist, there was hardly anything to be seen despite the light from their torches.

 _Thud. Thud. Thud._ Fear shivered down her spine as distinct footsteps sounded within earshot. It was whimpering and sobbing as it neared them until it became silhouette she couldn’t quite describe—a slim figure with slender limbs flailing about from its ginormous, bumpy head. Tzuyu could only assume that this thing is one of the Weeping Sirens Elkie mentioned. Her breath hitched when it stopped in front of them, barely touched by the blue light of their torches, whimpering and sobbing still. Neither herself nor Elkie were moving from their place.

It shrieked.

 

\--

 

The salty, nostalgic scent of the ocean greeted them as the cold wind brushed their cheeks when they arrived at the cliff. Dark clouds were gathered in the sky that seemed to encourage the doubt and apprehension on the group of friends behind her. Four large stones surrounded a dirt patch, in semi-circle, along with smaller rocks framing it. A curt nod from the red head cued Lisa to throw the parasite on the dirt— that seemed disrespectful towards the dead for Jihyo and the rest— and unwrap the stained bedsheets. Rosé could hear the disgust behind her from the sight.

Somehow, it looked like they were burying a body instead. Rosé opened the old book in her hand, a gift from her older sister before she, herself, left for earth and waited as Lisa placed the ingredients from her bag on the parasite. She heard someone come up from behind her, and soon enough Mina entered her peripheral.

“I hope that everything you told us is true,” she said in her soft voice, though stern, “Otherwise, we’re just wasting our time and lose an important evidence. Everyone else, except Nayeon. She’s holding onto it.”

“Lisa and I can handle this,” Rosé said, skimming a certain page on the book that she knew Mina would not be able to translate, “There are plenty of secrets in this universe that not everyone can decipher.” She closed the book and joined Lisa near the stones.

Each one bore the mark of the races from her world, and soon, she and Lisa will be coming home. Rosé gave the book to Lisa before the latter left her alone. She closed her eyes and held her hands together, in a form of a prayer, then drowned out the faint whispers from Jihyo and the girls until there was nothing else but the sea crashing against the cliffside, the leaves rustling against the wind and the gentle current of spirits flowing around the sacred site— the first cornerstone of the town’s magical relation to her own world.

“By the divinity of Goddess Fate,” Rosé began. She felt the parasite writhing angrily in its place but continued her prayer, “I cast the flames of the Valiores to burn this poison from the host who now walks in Vilhal and banish the demon back into the Hollows.”

She opened her eyes and stared intensely at the parasite. The gentle current surrounding her became a harsh, yet steady stream through her veins and into the ends of her nerves as the sensation of the spirits flowed through her being. She stretched her arms towards the abomination on the ground. She didn’t need to say a word as flames manifested around the writhing parasite, sparked from the ingredients Lisa had prepared, and instantly consumed the layers upon layers of blackened skin. It screamed. The unkempt hair burned out, the maggots burst into sparks, and the painted face melted to reveal the mutated image of its host.

Tzuyu.

“May the Hollows hold your fate in eternity,” She whispered as the flames left nothing but a pile of ash on the dirt ground. She gave a curt nod to Lisa and the brunette went to work on the site.

Rosé walked back towards the group, pitying them as she watched them uncover their ears and opening their eyes to see Lisa burying the ashes in the dirt. She knew that this was one of many encounters that these friends would face… and it was only beginning.

“Do you believe me now?” Rosé asked them, standing beside Jihyo who was visibly shaken as the rest of them are. They all nodded.

“The-The face…” Chaeyoung stuttered, “I-I thought I saw Tzuyu.”

Rosé sighed and nodded, “Parasites eat their hosts from the inside and their painted faces is a mockery of their hosts. Though it may seem like it’s to hide their mutated faces, but that’s never the case.”

“What happens now?” Jihyo asked, turning to the red head with fear evident in her eyes. Rosé turned to Lisa who merely shrugged and dusted the dirt from her clothes.

Rosé smiled at them, “You’ll be coming with us to our homeland.”


End file.
